If Only I Knew Her
by DigiExpert
Summary: Sequel to 'I'll Always Love You Mommy'. CH. 8 Up! Now it's up to Setsei to decide whether or not to help Pan. Pan still wants to convince the girl though.... Another flashback that has Bulma making an appearance and tormenting Gohan...R
1. The Question

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Here it finally is. The series I have been doing for the past two years is finally becoming a trilogy in a sense. For those of you who never read the first two fics, look under "Hush Little Panny" and "I'll Always Love You Mommy". If you don't care to read them, that's fine. You don't need to know much, but those fics will provide some background information. This fic will be slightly different, as it will be much longer than the other two and done in chapters.

Dedication: To all of you who read the other two fics and made this possible. I doubt I would have written more without your encouragement.

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own DBZ. Right now I only own Shane and Tsukai.

Pan lay on her stomach on the twin-sized bed, bent over her trigonometry homework. Headphones rested atop her raven black hair and the CD player lay on the bed, inside being Mello Paine's latest CD. Her socked foot tapped out a beat on her navy blue comforter. 

"_If only I had a second chance with you,_

I would take it in a simple instant

I'd live my life over again, if only,

If only I could your face again"

"Let's see… if sinθ2+cosθ2=1, then sinθ2+cosθ2 can be changed to 1 (A/N Yes, it's a true statement) so that makes the equation 1/cosθ+sinθ=secθ+1/cscθ and… hmm… what comes next?"Gohan chose that exact moment to pop into Pan's room. "Whatcha doing dear? Homework?"

Pan looked up at him and pressed pause on her CD player, pushing the headphones down off her head. "Yeah… come help me with this trig problem dad. I can't figure out what to do next."

Gohan walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. Pan handed him her notebook. "Hmm… so you're trying to get the equation to equal, am I correct?"

"Yeah. We just started this today. It's just sooo confusing. Mr. Hipkiss said this was the hardest chapter in the book. He ain't kidding either."

"Hmm.. I think I know how to do this. Where are your notes?"

Pan grabbed the notebook back and flipped back a few pages to where her notes were. She pointed with her blue ink pen. "Here's today's notes. Something about trig identities. I didn't understand it."

"Why didn't you ask questions then?"

"Daaad. No one asks questions in class. I'm not gonna look totally geeky. That's just….ewww."

"I believe you should start asking questions. You'll never learn it otherwise."

"I have you."

"That is not the point. I can't always help you. When you go off to college, will you always be calling me? I think not. You've got to either pay attention and ask questions, or find a classmate to tutor you."

"I bet you if mom were here she'd help me. She wouldn't mind."

"Pan… she…" Gohan's eyes got a faraway look in them and then suddenly changed to a fierce look. "You don't know what your mother would have done!" He slapped her across her face and stormed out of the room, slamming the door.

Pan stared at the door, a tear rolling down her cheek. That had really hurt. She hadn't meant for him to take it that way. He'd been so touchy about the subject lately. He was a totally different man when she was brought up. She knew it was soon to be the 16th anniversary of her death, but there was nothing different about it than the other years. She set her trig work aside. Shane could help her with it tomorrow before the first bell.

Pan rolled over onto her back and lay on her pillows. She pressed play on the CD player and the song continued. 

"_Your blue crystal tears in my heart_

God, it hurts me so damn much

It only seems like just yesterday

When time stood still on that moment"

Gohan clenched his fists as he walked down the hallway. _She had to bring her up. And I got angry again. She tries that answer every time. If only mom this and if only mom that. Doesn't she know how much it hurts me? I can't move on so easily after almost 16 years. I just can't and I should have so long ago._

He turned the knob and entered his bedroom. He hated calling it that- his. _It used to be ours.. but now it's just mine. Why am I so obsessed with her memory? Videl are you torturing me? You haunt me like I've done something wrong. _He rested his head in his hands. _Pan must wonder why I'm so bad this year. I only wish Videl could have seen how beautiful and smart her baby girl had become. Sixteen years and this is what she's become. I hope I raised her right. I tried my best, Videl, I really did._

Gohan stared out the window. The sky was a serene blue, with hardly a cloud to be seen. A bird chirruped in the scraggly, yet leafy tree outside. He tugged at his darkish red tie and untied it from around his neck. It felt as though he was releasing built up tension from his neck.

That evening, Gohan tried to make amends with Pan. He made her favorite dinner- chicken and rice vegetable stir-fry. He hoped it would cheer her some. He even set the table so that she wouldn't have to do it. Walking to the stairwell (and clad in an off white apron), he called, "Pan, come on down. Dinner's ready!"

Pan rolled off her bed. She set the CD player on her side table with the headphones hanging off the side and took her time getting down stairs. She wasn't looking forward to facing her father. Dinner smells wafted up the stairs and Pan could tell it was her favorite meal. _Great… he's trying to make amends. I wonder what's up with him anyway._ She hoped he wasn't going to act all blubbery on her. She couldn't take that. She was only a 16-year-old girl for goodness sakes, not a psychologist!

She walked into the kitchen to the sound of clinking dishes. Her dad was just dishing up dinner as she sat down in a chair, scraping it across the floor as she pulled it to the table. "Pan, how many times have I asked you not to scrap the chairs? It's not good on the floor."

"Sorry, won't do it again."

"_That_ would be what you said last time."

"I'll remember next time. We could always put a heavy rug underneath the table. Aunt Bulma has a nice looking forest green leaf rug she said we could have."

Gohan sat down at the table and considered this, tilting his fork. "Well… the floor does look pretty bare…."

"Awww.. Come on dad. Let's liven up the kitchen some. Bring some life into it. You know how dull it looks."

"Well… okay. You will have to pick it up after school tomorrow though. I'll let Bulma know that you'll be stopping by. Don't stay too long though, and don't go off flirting with Trunks."

"Daad! It's been two years! I was only 14 then. I don't think of Trunks like that anymore. I know what I want in a relationship and it certainly isn't him." Pan made a face as she poured herself a glass of water. (A/N: As you can see, this isn't going to be a T/P fic)

Gohan smiled. "Yes Panny. Whatever you say."

"Dad… That nick is so childish."

Gohan's face changed slightly and he got a faraway look in his eyes. "Pan, it's what your mother always called you. She loved that nickname. But…. If you want me to stop calling you it, then I will."

Pan looked at her dad. She didn't want to make him mad twice in one day. "Nah, it's okay. I don't mind it." She mentally crossed her fingers and hoped it worked as she physically ate her chicken and rice vegetable stir-fry.

Gohan smiled a bit. "Okay Pan. By the way, make sure you keep yourself free next Friday."

Pan didn't have to ask why. Next Friday was the anniversary of her mother's death. "Okay dad. What do you have planned for this year?"

"I was thinking a picnic at the spot by the river. You've always liked going there."

"Okay. You know I never make plans for that day."

The rest of dinner went quietly. Pan finished her meal and put her dishes into the sink. "Good dinner dad. I'm going back up to my room and finishing some work." She sauntered off towards the steps before Gohan could say a thing.

Once in her room, Pan flopped onto her bed. She rolled over and flipped on her small radio to her favorite station. "Annnnd… we're back with another round of today's hottest pop and rock on WZ107! Our next song was a request by an unnamed listener. So whoever you are, here's Rose Falcon's "Best Friend"! The radio cut out from the announcer and into the song.

"_The wind is whispering in my ear_

The clock is ticking can you hear

The clouds are rolling by"

The first verse was slow and Pan figured that the rest of the song would be. _What person would request such a slow song on a rock station?_ Pan sighed and was about to turn the station, but something made her keep listening.

_"How could anybody die_

Beneath this periwinkle sky

I was too young to know her then

She would have been my friend

My best friend"

Something stirred in Pan's memory. She couldn't see it nor hear it, but it was there. It was something she'd never really thought about much. But now…. It made her wonder and consider. Her father had only told her what she'd wanted to know before. She knew that a drunken driver had killed her mother on her way to work when Pan was only three months old. Pan also knew that her mother was a human, no matter how strong she was.

_"The sun is shining on my face_

The world is such a pretty place

Bees and butterflies"

Pan rolled over, trying to think of what else she knew about her mother. She couldn't remember much…. Or maybe she just hadn't been paying attention to her father at times. She knew her dad still kept the last family portrait they had together on his nightstand. It was taken when Pan had turned three months old, about a week and a half before Videl had passed away.

_"How could anybody cry_

Wish that I could have said 

Goodbye

If I could see her again

She would be my friend

My best friend"

Pan frowned. Why hadn't she cared much about her mother until now? It made her seem like a bad child, forgetting the woman that brought her into this world. And this song…. It was stirring something more. A silent tear rolled down her face. She tried to listen even more closely to the song.

_"All I have is photographs_

Put on her wedding ring

Put in a tape of lullabies

The ones she used to sing

To me

Don't cry

Baby"

At that moment, Gohan walked into her room to ask a question. "Pan, do you know where…. Pan, what's wrong?"

Pan put a finger to her lips and pointed to the radio. Gohan turned his head to it, knowing that she wanted him to listen to the song. He hoped it wasn't a song by Mello Paine. Then again, had a Mello Paine song ever made Pan cry?

_"How could anybody die _

Beneath this periwinkle sky

I was too young to know her then

She would have been my friend

My best friend"

It suddenly hit Gohan why the song had made Pan teary-eyed. She was remembering her mother, his Videl. He couldn't figure out why it was happening now though. It was just a song, a simple song. Songs never had so much impact on her before now. He moved closer, and sat down on the bed next to her.

_"How could anybody cry_

Wish that I could have said

Goodbye

If I could see her again

She would be my friend

My best friend"

Gohan rubbed Pan's back gently in small circles. He wished she would have asked him before about her mother. He would have been glad to tell her. Every time he tried to though, she wouldn't listen, or was in a hurry, or was doing something. He wondered what was going through her mind.

Pan couldn't seem to remember any more about her mother. _Didn't dad say that I was like her? I can't remember. Maybe that was Grandpa Satan who said that. What did dad tell me about her? She fought crime with him.. was loving…. What else? He proposed to her at that spot by the river…_

_(Sounds of a young baby or toddler are heard. Then a mother's voice is heard, comforting the child. The last words said are "Bye bye". The song ends on that note.)_

"Wow, a beautiful song! I'm Tsukai and we'll…." Pan flipped the radio off and sat up.

"Dad, what was mom like? I mean, what was she really like?"

****

You are probably wondering about the songs. Mello Paine is not a real band, nor is the song I used. I made both up. Rose Falcon of course owns her own work and that is not mine. Her song was perfect for this fic. I am trying to incorporate songs into this fic as I feel that they help convey emotions the characters can't portray. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. More to come soon! Please review with your feedback ^_^


	2. The Information That Turns the Gears

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Here's the 2nd chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I was so busy with my schoolwork and there were bouts of writer's block from time to time. But your patience with me is rewarded because I have written a very long chapter just for you! Chock full of flashbacks that are mini-stories within themselves (I may end up elaborating on them and posting them). Anyway, please R&R!

Gohan slowly thought about what she wanted. He wanted to tell her so much, but how to do it? Then he got an idea. "Pan, meet me on the couch in the living room in five minutes okay? If I'm to tell you about your mother, there's a few things that you should see."

"Uh… okay dad…" Pan was a bit weirded out by her dad, but didn't protest. She sat in her room, the minutes ticking by slowly as her dad got up and left.

Gohan walked quietly down the hallway, trying to decide the best way to tell Pan about her mother. Should he just tell her the whole story? Or should he ask her what she wanted to know? _Kami, this is hard to do. Trying to tell my own daughter what her mother was like. At least I have the photo album. I'm not certain, but I think there might be some pictures in there that Pan would like to have._

He opened the chestnut colored door that led to the bedroom and walked over to the closet. Everything he held dear was stored in the very back. He fell to his knees and pushed aside some black dress shoes, as well as pulled the hanging shirts and pants away from his face. Now he could see the few cardboard boxes stored in the deepest and darkest corner. He tugged at the one on top, landing on his back from pulling too hard.

Sitting up, Gohan looked at the writing on the box, written with a black permanent marker. _Photos and Special Keepsakes_ was scrawled in his handwriting. He reached into the closet for another box. He set the new box alongside the other. _Special Clothing_ was scrawled on this one. He didn't grab the third box. Pan wasn't mean to see it yet. He knew what was written on it. _For my little Panny when she's married_ was written in Videl's handwriting. She had been preparing that box for her daughter, hoping to pass it on to her when she married. The box was only half full, as Videl had planned to continue filling it each year. She had wanted her daughter to have something special from her mother, unlike her.

Gohan stacked the boxes atop each other and carried them out to the living room, setting them down on the crisp carpet next to the coffee table. He did not open them, as he knew their contents very well. He instead decided to let Pan decide which box to open first and he would explain from there. Settling on the couch, he waited for Pan to come downstairs.

Pan checked her clock on her radio. The red digits flashed and she saw that five minutes had passed. She was anxious to get downstairs, but she didn't want it to look like she was in a big rush. That would make her look like a kid at Christmastime, or pretty close to it. She walked as normally as she could down the hallway and descended the stairs. She glimpsed her dad sitting easily on the couch, two cardboard boxes at his feet.

A puzzled look settled on her face, and she glanced up at her dad. "Dad, what…."

"Come sit Pan and I'll explain. This is the only way to really show you what you want to know."

"Okay," responded Pan as she sat on the couch beside her dad.

"Now, where would you like for me to begin?"

"The beginning so I don't get confused or anything."

"Well, I met your mother in high school. You see, your grandmother had finally allowed me to go to public school for once. I was excited, but I never showed that. I thought I knew what to expect, but boy was I wrong. (A/N: Okay, I'm not going to follow the original storyline and go with my own) My first day didn't start out too well."

~**Flashback~**

Seventeen-year-old Gohan walked down the crowded halls of Orange Star High. Cliches were everywhere, as well as couples. Gohan's nose was facing down at the paper he was reading. It was supposed to tell him how to get to his locker, but only seemed to confuse him more. He wasn't paying much attention to where he was going so of course he didn't see the raven-haired girl right in front of him. His brisk pace didn't help matters either. 

Crash! Papers flew (the girl's) and bodies fell to the ground (both). "Hey you jerk! Watch where the hell you're going dork!" shouted the girl as she tried to gather her papers from the hallway. 

A blonde-haired girl rushed to her side to help her. "Videl, like what happened?"

"Just some nerd that doesn't know how to pay any attention to anything else but his precious books."

A boy with long blonde-haired appeared just then and walked over to Gohan, who was trying to gather Videl's scattered papers. The boy snatched them from Gohan's hands and smirked. "Hmph. You'd best stay away from Videl if you know what's good for you. She'll end up kicking your ass. Daughter of Hercule you know." The boy did a 180˚ turn and handed Videl's papers to her. "Here you go," he said.

The trio then turned and brushed past Gohan, each one bumping his or her shoulder into him. Gohan just turned and stared after them as he brushed dust from his outfit. He sighed deeply. _Already starting off on the wrong foot…Whatever gave me the brilliant idea to convince mom to let me come to public school?_

****

~End Flashback~

Pan giggled. "So that's how you met mom. I guess you didn't make a very good first impression then did you?"

"No… she really never liked me much for awhile after that. Especially when she found out that I fought crime and thought I was stealing the attention she was getting. You still have those toys I gave you don't you?"

"Yes I do. They're packed away nicely so that they don't get damaged or anything," answered Pan. What she didn't tell her dad was that she kept the one of her mother in the bottom side table drawer alongside his.

"Well, let me show you something. Videl and I stopped fighting crime in uniform after you were born." Gohan rummaged around in the box until he found a small watchcase. He pulled the watch inside out and snapped it on his wrist. Pushing a button, there was a slight flash and then Gohan disappeared inside his Saiyaman 1 costume.

"Wow dad.. I didn't know you still had that. But…"

"Yes?" asked Gohan.

"Well, I was wondering… whatever happened to mom's?"

"It's right here in the box. Let's see.. You're just a bit shorter than she was…" He mumbled his last sentences as he reached in the box for another watchcase in another slightly different color. He slipped the watch from the box and placed it around Pan's wrist. He pushed the button and stepped back. A slight flash was seen and Pan was suddenly dressed in the Saiyaman 2 costume. 

Pan looked down at herself. Her mother, her own mother had worn this very costume for a good cause. She twirled around and looked at herself. Gohan smiled sadly as he took off his helmet. The last time he'd seen Videl in that…. Kami, it had been so long ago. "Pan, I'd like to give you that. I'm sure your mom would be happy to know that you appreciate it as much as she did."

Pan pushed the yellow button on the watch and the costume disappeared. "You mean I can really keep this?"

"Yes, you can keep it. I'm sure you'll take good care of it." He smiled down at his daughter.

Pan sat down, leaving the watch on her wrist. It fit snugly so her mother must have been about her size. She watched as her father sat down, wondering what he would tell her next. Gohan tilted his head slightly in thought. "Hmm.. Shall I tell you about when we first became a couple? That only seems logical."

Pan nodded. How in the world had her parents become a couple if her mom hated her dad his first day of high school? It didn't seem to fit. She knew from experience that once hatred had started, it usually stayed that way all through high school. She had noticed it with her older friends. 

"Well… it all started about six months after I'd been in high school. By this time, it was early March (A/N: I'm going by the American school system and they started in September)….."

****

~Flashback~

Gohan whistled as he walked into Orange Star High. He had decided to come early that morning so he could study for his Calculus test in peace. He had planned on heading to the library after grabbing a juice from the juice machine to get the gears turning in his brain. He stuck the coins in the slot and pressed the orange juice button. The bottle clunked down to the pick up slot and Gohan grabbed it. He turned briskly toward the library and again began whistling.

Three doors down from the library, he heard voices. Being a curious person (just like Goten) he had to investigate. He flattened himself against the wall and stepped closer to the door very slowly. His Saiyan hearing instantly picked up on the conversation. _Hmm… I can hear Videl's voice, but who else is that… let's see. It's definitely a male teacher… Sensei Hiroki?… Yeah.. Sounds like him…. _Then his eyes widened. _Is he.. He trying to force her to have sex with him?! _He heard the male voice come closer to the door and push it closed. Gohan panicked and flattened himself tighter against the wall. He strained to hear what was going on inside. _Videl's… she's trying to fight back… It doesn't seem to be working.. .It should though. She's strong…. Is Sensei Hiroki stronger than he seems? _

Gohan decided to take a chance and turned to face the classroom. He peeked inside the classroom through the rectangular glass on the left of the door and thanked Kami that it wasn't the foggy glass other classrooms had. He finally had a glimpse of everything. Sensei Hiroki was a burly man, but Gohan could tell that it wasn't all fat on his body. He gave off the appearance of a slob in a suit and had greasy black hair atop his head that looked like it was never combed. The man had some how managed to handcuff Videl and ball gag her. She was struggling to escape and Hiroki stood in front of her grinning like a mad man. 

Gohan could just barely hear what he said in a very low voice. "…. Waited so long for this. Ever since I saw you at your father's gym, I knew I'd make you mine. Your father is so dense, he never noticed my looks at you." Gohan watched as Hiroki reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. Videl closed her eyes and whimpered as she tried to turn away. Gohan's ki spiked at that remark. _I may not like the girl much, but she doesn't deserve this. No one does._

Suddenly, the door burst open and broke into splinters of all sizes as it hit. Hiroki turned his head quickly, only to find a fist hit his jaw as he flew across the room into the opposite wall fifteen feet away. Gohan had not gone Super Saiyan, but his ki was so high that Videl felt a strange sensation in the air around her. "Leave….Satan… Alone…" he growled as he grabbed Videl in his arms. "You are a dead man… Hiroki."

Gohan strided quickly out of the room and ducked into another empty classroom with Videl. He glanced up at the clock and noted that it was only 7:15. He had 45 minutes until school started and from what he could hear, no one else was around. After gathering this knowledge, he untied the ball gag and then shot a tiny ki blast into the keyhole on each handcuff. He watched Videl's reaction as soon as she was freed.

He had thought she would slap him. Even though he had saved her life, he could never tell with Videl. Instead, he watched Videl break down into tears, her body trembling. "Gohan… thank you…" She then fully registered that this was Gohan the nerd talking to her and did the only thing she could without embarrassing herself- she ran out the door. Gohan was shocked, and took off after her. He was too late though. He didn't know where she'd run off to, but he could feel her ki. _She'll be okay. No need for going after her. It'll only cause more trouble… However, Hiroki must be dealt with, the filthy bastard._

Gohan marched back into Hiroki's classroom and found the man to be laying exactly where he had landed minutes earlier. Grabbing him by the neck, Gohan dragged him down the hallway to the office where he promptly phoned the Satan City Police.It wasn't long before they arrived and Gohan told them the whole story.

"Where's Videl then?" asked one particularly chubby officer.

"She ran off. After I took away the gag and handcuffs, she ran away from me. I couldn't catch her."

"We're keeping this man in custody, but we can't set up a trial for him until Videl comes and confesses. We just can't take your word of course."

Gohan smacked a hand to his forehead and sighed. His day wasn't getting any better. First the thing with Videl and now this. "I'll.. I'll have her come down later."

"All right boy. You'd best have her come down. We can't have our best crime fighter's rep ruined all because of some stupid boy," scoffed the chief.

"Look, I gotta go find Videl. You just take care of Sensei Hiroki." Gohan turned and jogged off down the hall.

He figured that he had given Videl enough time to think that he was looking for him. He sensed her ki and found her to not be too far away from him. He sighed again and braced himself for what he'd find, as well as her wrath.

Gohan found Videl under a tree. He peeked around from behind the school storage building. He saw her head buried in her knees and he thought he could hear her crying. _Well, here goes nothing_ he thought as he took a deep breath. He walked slowly over to the oak tree that Videl sat under. "Videl?" he questioned softly.

"Go away," came the tear-gargled reply.

"Videl, I don't think you can just ignore this. You have to report him. You can't let him get away scot-free. If you do…" He was interrupted.

"I said go away! Don't you see that if I say something, rumors will fly? My image will be ruined! Can't you see that?!" 

"Why do you care what rumors are started? Why does that matter to you? Would you rather have Hiroki come after you again?"

"I.. I just can't Gohan!" 

Gohan bent down to her level. He pulled her arm away so that she'd have to look at him. "Look, I don't know you well nor do I think you care to know me, but let me say this. You have your friends to back you up. If rumors fly, who's going to be the first by your side? Your friends are. They are going to back you up 100%. I know that if I were a friend of yours, I'd back you up. Now, if you wouldn't mind, the chief wants you down at the station to give your confession." Then he got up and left, not looking back.

****

~End Flashback~

Gohan saw the look of shock on Pan's face. "Yes, that may have been a bit too old for you, but I thought you could handle it. That's how everything began. It took her awhile to warm up to me, but she did. I ended up training her in the art of ki so that she could improve her fighting skills. That spring, I asked her to be my prom date."

"Your prom date? _You_ went to the prom?!"

"Just because I still look like a nerd doesn't mean I didn't go to my prom."

"It just doesn't seem likely," muttered Pan.

"You sound like your grandmother when you say that. She just about went into shock when she found out."

"Really?"

Gohan nodded. "Would you like to hear the story behind it?"

"Of course I do. This ought to be interesting."

"Well… it all began that evening I was to meet Videl….."

****

~Flashback~

Gohan descended the stairs from his room. He was nervous, very nervous. He fiddled with his red tie to keep his hands occupied. Actually, he kept trying to tie the darned thing, but it didn't seem to want to tie for him. He looked up to see his mother waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, an over joyous look on her face, hands clasped. _Here it comes.. again… the billionth time this evening._

"Oh Gohan! You look so handsome in your new suit. Won't Videl be surprised when she sees such a good-looking man waiting for her? 

Goten bounced into the room. "Big bro! You look awesome! You gonna smooch her?"

Gohan blushed madly. "Goten! You know you…."

_Ding-dong!_ "I'll get it!" screeched Goten as he made a mad dash to the door. He twisted the knob and pulled so hard that the door slammed against the opposite wall, almost splintering. "Hiya Videl! Gohan's been waiting for ya!" he stated happily.

Videl was dressed in a pearly white gown that touched her ankles. She wore a pair of high heels with a ½ heel. The outfit was completed by a golden dragon locket she wore around her neck. Gohan was in complete awe. "V-V-Videl, I-I-I…" he stuttered in amazement. Luckily he was saved further embarrassment by Chichi.

"Why Videl, you look very lovely tonight. Let me take a few pictures of you and Gohan together. Stand over by the stairs." Chichi barely let them get into position before she began snapping many pictures. Gohan put his hand around Videl's waist so his mother would have some decent pictures and smiled. 

After about five minutes of picture snapping, Chichi decided that she was finally done. "All right you two. Have fun tonight. And Gohan, don't keep her out too late. I want her home at a decent time!"

Gohan blushed furiously. "Yes mother. Can we leave now?" He didn't wait for her response as he held out his arm for Videl. Videl accepted it, and they walked out to her helicopter. They had decided that the helicopter was better than them flying. "Sorry about that Videl. You know how my mom is."

Videl laughed. "Don't worry Gohan. It's fine. You know your family doesn't bother me…"

She was cut off by Chichi yelling out the window. "Grandbabies are always a good result Gohan!"

"Okay so maybe that does just a bit, but still…. Let's just have fun tonight, okay?"

Gohan helped Videl climb into the pilot's side of the helicopter (he would have flown it, but he had never learned himself). He climbed into the other side, and Videl started the chopper, lifting it into the night sky. She turned it toward the school and took off.

Within fifteen minutes, Videl had arrived and landed the chopper on the school's roof. As Gohan helped her step down, both could hear the loud music from inside. Laughter drifted up through the air as easily as the balloons that floated out of the open gym doors below. Gohan took a deep breath. He was very nervous. Videl turned to face him. "Hey Gohan, let's float down to the doors. Scare everyone so that we loosen up some."

Gohan smiled. "Are you sure you want to?"

Videl nodded. "I'm feeling mischievous tonight. I need some way to relax and this feels like a good way." She looked over the top of the roof. "Besides, Sharpner and Erasa are at the door. Let's scare the hell outta 'em."

Gohan was getting into the idea. "What about if we made our ki luminate our bodies? That'd really freak them out."

"Bet you Sharpner speaks in a high girly voice when he sees up."

"How much?"

"More like, dinner and a movie."

"Blackmailing me again?"

"You know it." Videl snickered.

The two stood on the edge of the building, and then stepped onto air. Soft yellow light from their ki surrounded their bodies. They didn't notice Sharpner looking up at them. "E-E-Erasa! Aliens!" He pointed up at the couple. "They've come to wreck the prom. Hide!" He whimpered and shrunk back into the shadows. 

"Oh Sharpner lighten up!" huffed Erasa. "Can't you see that…"

Videl and Gohan landed right next to Sharpner. "Eeeeek!" he shrieked in a high voice and dashed behind Erasa. "It's only Gohan and Videl!" she yelled into his face.

Sharpner blushed madly and stood up quickly. "I… I knew that…"

Videl pulled Gohan down to her level by his tie and whispered into his ear. "You owe me Son Gohan."

"Ehehe… Right Videl." Gohan turned to Erasa and Sharpner. "So were you two waiting on our arrival?"

"As a matter of fact we were nerd-boy," sniveled Sharpner.

Erasa whacked Sharpner with her baby blue purse. "Just because they scared the heck outta you doesn't mean you can misbehave."

"Yes love," muttered Sharpner.

"Come on inside you two. I made sure to get us a good table. We can see everything from our spot," commented Erasa.

The two couples walked inside the transformed gym. An oriental theme had been chosen for this year's prom. The main entrance was a stunning Japanese garden. Couples crossed the bridge that stood over the reflecting pool. A rusty golden colored gong stood behind the bridge, and bamboo shoots surrounded the pool. The whole gym was bathed in a pale purplish blue light. As the couples crossed the bridge, the garden scene was extended. Lanterns hung on string from the ceiling gave off pale pools of light. At the other end of the gym was a small Buddhist shrine. The one set of bleachers had been pulled out for those unlucky to not get tables. The bleachers opposite were left pushed against the wall, as the DJ had set up there. An upbeat song was playing and a few couples were dancing, as well as the mixture of singles and other groups.

Erasa led them to the tables near the pulled-out bleachers. The table was in the middle, the spot where everything was seen easily. All four sat down. "Over there at the end of the bleachers is the refreshment table. Different assortment of things though I don't know what they have. It wasn't my job to do the food."

For Gohan, the night went by slowly. He was so nervous. He didn't want to ask Videl to dance because he feared being a klutz. He and she watched Sharpner and Erasa dance time and time again. Gohan wanted to treat her right like Sharpner did with Erasa. That boy could be a big pain, but he sure did know how to be a gentleman around his girlfriend. "Hey Videl… want to get some refreshments?"

"Sure Gohan." Videl wasn't looking too happy, at least from what Gohan saw. Did she want to dance despite saying she didn't mind?

Gohan walked over to her chair and held his arm out for her. _I could tell her why. Tell her how I feel. She must be wondering why the heck I asked her in the first place._ Instead of taking Videl to the refreshment table, he instead turned and took her over to the bridge where the light was darker and no one else seemed to be. 

"I thought we were going to the refreshment table," commented Videl, confused.

"I changed my mind. I decided instead to talk." He crossed to the middle of the bridge with Videl and then turned to face her. "I know this probably hasn't been the night that you were expecting, but the truth is, I was really nervous about tonight. I've never been to any fancy dances. Heck, I've never dated before this either. So you'll have to pardon my acts for tonight."

"Well that does clear up the fact that I thought you were a complete moron…" 

"Good or bad?" chuckled Gohan nervously.

"Both, but in this case, good." Videl giggled softly.

"Videl, over the past few months, I've gotten to know you pretty well. Truth be told, I never expected for anything to happen besides us being just friends. Now though, I've come to find that my heart feels differently. Videl…. I love you. I'd like for you to be my girlfriend… that is, if you want too…" He turned away, afraid of what he'd hear in response.

Videl smiled. She knew what she wanted and that was Son Gohan. She couldn't help but laugh inside at his awkwardness. "Yes." Was her terse answer.

"Yes?" asked Gohan, afraid to turn around.

"Yes, Gohan. I said yes."

Gohan turned around. His face was beet red and he thanked Kami that the dimmed lights hid most of it. He smiled down at Videl and pulled her into a hug. "I'll do my best to treat you the way you deserve Videl."

Videl giggled. It sounded so grown up for him to say it. "So do you still not want to dance?"

"H-h-how did you know?! I mean I didn't think… I mean…"

"Gohan I _know_ what a klutz you can be. Don't make me have to bring up what happened last week in art class."

"Ehehe…. No you don't need to do that Videl." Gohan remembered quite well how he'd managed to knock over a dozen bottles of paint, including two open ones of orange and green all over Videl.

Videl grabbed his hand. "Come on Son Gohan. Let's see if you're as graceful a dancer as you are a fighter."

She led Gohan onto the dance floor just as a slow song began to play. Gohan put his arms around her waist loosely and hoped he wouldn't mess this one up. 

__

If tomorrow never comes   
I would want just one thing   
I would tell it to the stars and the sun   
I would write it for the world to see   
And it's you   
The light changes when you're in the room   
Oh it's you   
Oh it's you 

They danced slowly and Gohan found that dancing wasn't so hard. He looked down at Videl, who smiled back up at him. She knew she'd made the right choice. She had loved him too. Almost since the day that he saved her from that sensei. 

As he danced, Gohan reflected as well. Oh he knew what his mother would say. He'd have to keep it from her for a bit… but that could wait. Right then he wanted to focus on the beautiful girl he was dancing with.

__

If tomorrow never comes   
I would want just one wish   
To kiss your quiet mouth   
Trace the steps of my fingertips   
And it's you   
The light changes when you're in the room   
Oh it's you   
Oh it's you   
Oh it's you 

"You know Videl, I think tonight turned out pretty well."

"I believe you're right Gohan. It did…"

And then Gohan leaned down and kissed her lips mid-sentence. Videl didn't protest and kissed him back. They kissed as they danced.

__

Oh it's you   
Oh it's you   
Oh it's you   
Oh it's you...

****

~End Flashback~

Gohan looked over at Pan. Her eyes were beginning to droop and he then looked at the clock. "Oh goodness Pan. I've spent the whole evening talking your head off."

"It's okay dad. I really enjoyed it. I liked finding out more about mom. Can you tell me more later?"

"I will tell you more when you ask Panny." He smiled at her. "Now you'd best get off to bed. You have school tomorrow and me keeping you up late isn't helping that."

"All right dad. I'm off to bed then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Pan." Gohan watched as Pan turned and headed back upstairs to her room. He began packing the boxes back up. _At least she knows so much more now. Just like you wanted, Videl._

****

So what'd you think? The song I used was Michelle Branch's "It's You". A little hint of the next chapter to come: Pan's got a lot of thinking to do. And she gets an idea…. Please review!


	3. And the Gears Spawn the Idea

****

I finally have another chapter to post for you guys. Sorry it's a bit late, but I had to finish up with school, and then my boyfriend visited for 2 weeks so I had no time to write. However, I was able to finish it, and I think you'll like this chapter. Read and Review please.

Chapter 3: And the Gears Spawn the Idea

The first bell of the Friday morning rang at Orange Star High. It was the first of three tardy bells. Pan could hear it in the distance as she landed on the outskirts of Satan City. She knew she still had twenty minutes to get to class. She was supposed to meet up with Shane and walk to school with him and his younger sister. It was a daily ritual they'd done ever since middle school.

Walking briskly, she was lost in thought. _Hmm…. Homework's done… I think… must go to Bulma's after school, need to talk to dad later… go to grandma and grandpa's…maybe even head to my other grandpa's…_ So of course she didn't see a girl walking toward her.

Crash! Both girls flew backwards. The other girl lost the papers that she had been carrying in her hands. Pan sat up and rubbed her head slightly. "Sorry…" she muttered. "My fault."

"My papers!" cried the other girl. "Catch them! I gotta have them for my chemistry class!"

Pan jumped to her feet and began snatching papers. A breeze began to blow lightly and the papers swirled and danced in the air, just out of Pan's reach. She added some ki to her jumps and was able to grab all of the papers before they flew over the buildings. "Here you go," she said to the girl with a smile. Now that she could get a good look at the girl she saw that she was about 4'11", and had a wiry frame. She was a freckled girl with long blonde hair pulled back by a headband.

"Thanks," said the girl. "I needed those for a project due today."

"Aren't you a bit young to take chemistry?"

"Oh no, not at all! I skipped two grades and am in my tenth year at Orange Star High. I'm Setsei by the way."

"Hehe. I'm Pan. I'm in my tenth year as well at Orange Star, but I don't recall ever seeing you."

"That's because I just moved in last week. And you may not have noticed me because I'm so short. Nobody ever does."

"Well, it was nice meeting you Setsei, but I gotta go meet a friend before school. I'll see you around." Pan waved and took off. _She looks familiar, but eh, probably'll never see her again._

She walked in a northeastern pattern until she reached Thomas Lane. She turned to the right and walked three houses down. Thomas Lane was a kind of upper class neighborhood where the people still acted like everyone else. Sure they had two and three story homes with two car garages and a car for each driver in the family amongst other things, but they were still some of the nicest people to know. Pan stopped in front of the house with the number 235 beside the door. This house was a tannish three-story house with a two-car garage. A swimming pool glistened out back. On the porch sat a blonde haired boy and a younger girl who had caramel brown hair.

The boy immediately jumped up upon seeing Pan and stuffed something into his book bag. "Hurry up, Shane. We'll be late. I can't have anymore detentions this month, or dad will ground me!"

"I'm coming Pan. Chill out. You're a bit late anyway."

"I met some girl named Setsei along the way. Accidentally ran into her."

"You mean that really smart girl?" piped up Shane's younger sister, Jun. "I see her around sometimes. She never wants to hang out, though I've asked her."

"I think that's her. Anyway, we'd best be off."

Shane laughed. "Come on Jun before mother here grounds our butts."

"Shane! I will kick your butt for that remark!"

Shane smirked. "Well you'll have to catch me first." Of course, he knew that he was no match for Pan's speed. However, he figured that she was a bit groggy. He shot off down the street, leaving his sister and Pan in a daze.

"What the… hey! You can't do that!" She was about to take off, but knew it wasn't wise to leave Jun behind. "Come on Jun, climb on my back."

"But Pan… I'm too heavy for you."

"Just climb on or I'll leave you behind. You don't want that happening now do you?"

Jun shook her head and climbed on to Pan's back. "Hold on tight. You might fall off otherwise."

Jun wrapped her arms and legs around Pan's body and laid her head on Pan's shoulder. "Fast?" she asked.

Jun had no time to hear Pan's answer as Pan took a deep breath and shot off down the street. Jun closed her eyes as the blurred view made her dizzy. She held on tighter to Pan. _She runs this fast? Sheesh…_

Shane turned to look behind him and only could see a fast moving dust cloud coming his way. _Crap… Better head off to school and hide…she'll take Jun to school if she can't grab me._ Shane ran faster, his backpack bouncing from side to side. Unfortunately his backpack had been unzipped some and with all the bouncing his backpack was doing, it came unzipped all the way. Shane suddenly noticed the flying swirl of papers around him. "Oh shit!" he cursed. He stopped in his tracks and turned to grab the papers.

Pan looked up ahead and saw that Shane had stopped. _What the?! Curses!_ Pan quickly began slowing down. She almost bumped into Shane, but stopped suddenly. "What the heck Shane?"

"Just grab my papers! I really need them!"

Pan set Jun down and leapt to grab the papers. _Second time today. Stupid me getting there at the wrong moments_. She shoved the papers at Shane. "I'll see you at school. I need to walk by myself for a bit."

Shane gave her an odd look. "O.. Okay… I'll take Jun to school and see you there then…" He stuffed papers in his bag and zipped it.

Pan nodded. "Don't worry about me." She turned and walked down the road. As soon as she was about twenty meters away from Shane, she sighed deeply. She had really just wanted to get away from Shane. She couldn't handle his hyperness this early in the morning. She sighed and headed on to school, dreading the boring day ahead.

"And so you see class, Anne only wanted to be loved by a family. Now, I want you to spend the rest of the period writing two journal entries. You will put yourself in the shoes of an orphan. I don't care how old or what time period or where you are. The first entry you will write will be before you are adopted by a family. The second one you will write will be a few months after you have been adopted. Each journal will be at least a page minimum. However, more is always better. These will be due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Use good descriptions. Let's see if anyone has as good of an imagination as Anne Shirley eh?"

Pan was zoning out as Setsei Tetsuki talked. She had read this book so long ago. However, she was one of the three out of a class of thirty that had already read Anne of Green Gables. Setsei Tetsuki had decided that the class should read this book for a taste of Canadian literature. Pan just thought that the book was lost on her class, but didn't speak up for fear of being reprimanded.

She pulled out a few pieces of paper and grabbed her blue ball point pen. She considered the different time periods that she could use. She didn't want to use a period too long ago because she didn't know much beyond fifty years ago to write journal entries. She decided to go back thirty years ago. Not much was different then, unless you lived in the city. _Lets' see…I don't want to do a city girl. I've never lived in the city before, only visited. I think I'll stick to the countryside near where Grampa was found. Heck, some people out in that area still live in the dark ages. Now that I've got a time and place, I just need a girl's name and an age…Let's see… I don't want her to be as old as me, but I don't want her to be too young either. I'll make her.. twelve. Yes, that seems like a good age. And she will be named… Ruki._

With an idea in mind, Pan began to write. It took her awhile, as her mind veered in different directions, but she accomplished the task. She had two different papers laying in front of her, and was satisfied with both of them.

__

March 18

Dear journal,

My life is so very boring. Miss Caterski gave me this journal for my birthday. It is the only thing I got. She was the only one to remember me as well. The other orphans ignored me. I guess they thought that I was some weird pest. Prissy tried to steal this journal away from me. She is very rude. She thinks she is better than everyone. I wanted to remind her what she got for her birthday two months ago, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to get in trouble on my birthday.

Life here at the orphanage is dull. It is located in the woods outside of Satan City. I have never been to the city. I hear it's awfully nice. Such nice things that can be bought with money! Prissy is always talking about how she's been to the city many times, before she came here. I just tell her to shut up and throw something at her. She usually runs when I do that. She's so chicken.

My only friend here besides Miss Caterski is Taka. He came here almost a year ago, and I was the first person to befriend him. No one else liked him very much. I don't know why. He was very lonely, and I would just talk with him forever. He never got tired of it. I was surprised. I am usually one person who doesn't shut up. Taka still listens though. He helped me get back at Prissy last Christmas by sticking a fake spider in her serving of mashed potatoes. We both had detention for a week, but the prank was worth it.

Today Miss Caterski mentioned that people who want to be parents are visiting tomorrow. I can't remember the word she used though. She tells us we have to clean up nicely. We also have to clean the whole orphanage with her later. Mr. Gasaki is going to help us too. I am not looking forward to this. I want a nice family, but I don't want to leave Miss Caterski and Taka. I don't think I could live without Taka. He needs someone to talk to, and no one else seems to listen to him. I know. I'll help him find some parents tomorrow, ones that will listen to him and take good care of him. I don't mind leaving him if I know he'll be taken care of.

I don't know if anyone will come for me though. No one has ever wanted me since I came here over six years ago. I used to cry when the parents would leave. I thought they didn't like me. I know better now though. They liked me, but I just wasn't for them. The orphanage is a better place for me though. I get to be myself. I do hate how it's crowded though. All of us older girls are in one big room. There are twelve bunk beds in our room. I sleep farthest from the door on the top bunk. Thankfully Prissy sleeps nowhere near me. That girl is just a pain. Her bunk mates have told me. She's always bragging about something from her past life. My bunk mate is a girl named Erinako. She's very shy, and never talks to anyone. I've tried to talk with her, but she just turns away from me. She has no friends except for those imaginary ones of hers. She stays outside whenever she can and plays underneath the big oak tree.

I gotta go now. Miss Caterski is calling for me. I think she wants us to go clean the rooms. Blech. I'll write more tomorrow after all the people leave.

Ruki

June 2

Dear journal,

I am so sorry that I haven't written in you for so long. There's so much to tell and so much that has happened to me! But let me start from the beginning.

March 19 was the day that the parents came to visit all of us. I hung back with Taka. We looked at all the grown ups that passed us, trying to find good ones for Taka. He was being very shy and reminded me of Erinako. He kept pushing his glasses up on his nose, and I knew that he was nervous. We didn't get to stay hidden for very long though. Miss Caterski saw us and told us to go talk to the adults. We did as we were told.

We tried to stay away from the old people. I don't much like them. They always seem to smell funny. Taka agreed with me. A young couple saw us together. They started to come over, and Taka tried to hide behind me. They began to talk with us. The woman seemed very polite and the man tried to be very funny, but he didn't do so well. I laughed at his joke though, to make him feel better. They were really nice. They even slipped us some chocolate candy and told us we were very good kids. We saw them walk off and talk to Miss Caterski. We just walked away and sat under the oak tree. Taka pulled out a magnifying glass and began to watch the ants on the anthill nearby.

An hour later, Miss Caterski found us under the tree. I thought she was going to punish us for not listening to her, but she only smiled at me. She told us that the couple, who were Mr. and Mrs. Gaillara, wanted to adopt us. I was very happy, because that didn't mean that I had to say bye to Taka. He was pretty happy too. We went inside and packed together our few belongings. Then we went home with our new mom and dad.

After we got home, we were shown our new rooms. We each had our own. There was a bed against the wall, with a desk opposite it, as well as a dresser. There was a closet too. The rooms didn't have much else. The walls were still white. When I asked why, Mr. Gaillara said that we got to paint our own rooms any color we wanted. We also got to go shopping the next day for new clothes and to buy some special things of our own. I got some books, teddy bears, some sketchbooks and pencils, and a cat poster. Taka picked out a lot of bug stuff to help him study. We get to go shopping each week for a few more items until our parents decide that we have enough. They are very nice to us.

We didn't have to go to school, since the year was almost over. We went to register for the fall though yesterday. I've never been to a public school before. The orphanage always hired someone for the year. Taka and I will both start middle school. I will be in the 7th grade, and he will be in 6th. I don't think we'll see each other often, but I'm not going to tell him that. He's so happy now. I don't want to be the one to ruin that.

Mom is calling me now, so I need to finish up. We are all going out to dinner tonight because dad got a promotion at work. We are to be going to some fancy place so I have to wear a dress, and Taka has to wear a suit. I don't much like dresses, but I'm not going to say one thing about that.

Ruki

Pan sighed as she read over her two entries again. She thought they sounded kinda dumb, but she could care less. The period was almost over, and so was the school day for that matter. Laziness was kicking in, as it does for every student at the end of the school day.Just then the last bell stirred her out of her daze.

"All right students. Place your journals on my desk. I'll grade them over the weekend and hand them back to you on Monday. I hope these will be better than the last writing assignment. I will not grade easy, as you all well know."

Half of the students didn't hear him, and those that did didn't care. The only thing the students cared about was leaving the school building as soon as they could. Pan gathered up her books and shoved them into her bookbag. Just as she turned to leave, a girl came up behind her. "Hey Pan. Kept your papers in your bag since this morning?"

Pan recognized that voice as the new girl she'd met that morning. "Not really," she answered in a monotone voice as began to walk.

Setsei looked concerned. "What happened?" she asked, curious.

"Nothing," Pan answered in the same voice.

"You seem depressed, but I won't press any further. I'll see you Monday then," Setsei responded with a cheery smile and walked off into the emptying hallway.

Pan sighed. She hadn't meant to treat the girl that way. Everything just came out wrong. Maybe the book they'd read in class had had some effect on her emotions. _That's weird though… It never has before.. But then again, I'd never had that talk with dad. I kinda feel like Anne.. But only orphaned from my mother. At least we have that in common. We both never had a real mother. Though, she eventually thought of Marilla as a motherly figure. I never had that. None of the women in my life have been that close to me…. I wonder…_

Pan forgot all about meeting up with Shane. She walked down the street, deep in thought with the small idea she'd came up with. The trees blew gently in the breeze, and the businessmen criticized her for walking in the middle of the sidewalk, but she didn't notice._ Would it even work? It should, but dad would be so angry with me. I'd be in so much trouble. But… then again, it'd be worth it to know…_

As she walked, she blindly turned left onto Rain Lane. It was a miracle she even remember that she had to go to Bulma's, or even was able to walk in a daydream. Pan headed down the fancy house-lined street, her feet intent on the big set of rounded buildings in the distance with the big Capsule Corp. logo plastered on each one. Maybe she could have some of her questions answered there.

****

Well, what'd you think? No song for this chapter, though I am planning to use more as I find them. If you know of a song that I may be able to use in the future, give me the name and artist so I can look up the lyrics. I'll give you credit for finding it if I decide to use it. Ta-ta for now. Review please.


	4. Shock and Surprises

Be proud of me everyone! I actually finished two chapters while I was in Florida and plan on posting the other within the next week or two. I had fun with these chapters for some reason. Anyway, I hope you'll like. R & R please

New Disclaimer: I still don't own DBZ, but I now own Jun and Setsei and Pan's English teacher… I forget his name… "

**Chapter 4: Shock and Surprises**

         Pan rapped three times on the back entrance to Capsule Corp. It was hidden amongst some bushes and trees, and not just anyone could enter through it. A small camera emerged from a white wall panel. It focused on Pan. However, it didn't focus on just her physical look. It also scanned her ki level and compared it to the last reading. Finding a close match, the camera beeped and a soft whoosh was heard as another wall panel slide open. Pan slipped inside, making sure no one else came behind her. You could never be too careful. Lately, many schoolgirls had been trying to sneak in to get a peak at Trunks working out.

         She treaded softly on the maroon carpeted floor, looking at the walls. Bulma had had Vegeta to redo this area against his wishes. She had let him do whatever he wanted to it as long as it didn't get blown up, and it didn't look like the old hallway. So Vegeta had made it a tribute to himself. Picture after picture showed Vegeta snarling down. Ordinary people would shiver in fear at the man's menacing glare.

         Pan slipped into another room at the end of the hallway. It was lit by a pale white light, but nothing else. Dark shadows fell over everything, but Pan knew exactly where she was heading. She tapped on the door at the opposite end of the room and waited for it to open. A few seconds later, the door slid open a crack, and an eye looked through at her. "Who is.. Oh Pan! Why have you come?"

         "I came for the rug, and to talk to you about something."

         "Oh… okay sweetie. One second though. I'm trying to get Trunks to learn the ropes of my lab, and he's not doing too well at it." A crash was heard as soon as she finished her sentence, and the door quickly slid closed. Pan could hear muffled talking from inside, but couldn't distinguish any of it. A few minutes later, the door slid back open. "All right Pan. You can come in now."

         Pan followed Bulma and the door closed behind her. She glimpsed knocked over beakers and broken test tubes. _Trunks must be awful at science_ she thought to herself.

         "Ignore the mess. Trunks is way too clumsy for his own good. Sure he may be able to fight well, but when it comes to small things, he's like an elephant in a china store. He'll learn though. Eventually, I hope."

         She led Pan to a side room, much like a lounge. Comfortable cushioned seats were place strategically. In the middle of the room was a polished oak wooden table, which was covered in stacks of blue prints and notes. Bulma swiped all of them onto the floor, and then sat down in one of the matching oak chairs. Pan did the same. "I'll get you the rug before you leave. What did you need to talk to me about?"

         "Well… I've started thinking about my mom. Dad told me a lot about her. He tried to make sure he covered everything, and he gave me some of her things, but… I still don't think I know her very well. It doesn't even feel like she even existed anymore. So many years have passed, and dad only keeps a few pictures on the mantle and in his room."

         "What makes you think you don't know her well?" Bulma got up and walked to the mini refrigerator, grabbing a few cherry sodas. She sat back down, and handed one to Pan as she opened her own.

         "I've never gotten to know her. I had so many chances when I was younger to ask, but I didn't. At least, I can't remember ever asking. But after today, I have an idea."

         "What is your idea, Pan?" Bulma took a sip of her soda. She was thinking that Pan wanted to do more exploring through her mother's things, or interview others that knew her mother. What came next though, she wasn't prepared for.

         "I want to bring mom back using the dragonballs," said Pan in a determined tone.

         Bulma turned her head to the side and spit out her soda. "What!?"

         "I know it sounds crazy, but I want to. There's no other way that I can get to know my mother better."

         "Pan, listen to me. Your father absolutely forbids it. After Videl passed away, he made sure to tell everyone to never, under any circumstances, wish back his wife. He wanted to let her live in the after life and not bring her back again. You know that he believes that the dead should stay dead."

         "But Bulma, I'd only do it for one day. I'd make sure to keep her away from dad. I'd be careful!" Pan's voice kept rising with each assurance.

         "Pan, you don't understand. You know that Videl will want to see Gohan. She will want to see her husband, the man she loved dearly. You don't know how in love those two were. And if Gohan saw her again, it'd break his heart if he knew she wasn't back for good. That is besides the fact that he'd be heart broken that you disobeyed his order." Bulma made sure that she said this in a firm tone.

         "How else will I know what she is really like?" Tears began to form in Pan's eyes.

         Bulma stood up, and walked over to Pan, hugging her close. "I don't mean to be mean to you, but you have to understand how many things could go wrong." She looked down at Pan. "Don't be selfish. You have to consider what everyone else would think, okay?"

         Pan sniffled and nodded. She hadn't thought that Bulma would react like this. She had figured that Bulma would help her, and give her one of the dragon radars for guidance. Boy, had she ever been wrong. "I guess I'll find other ways then," she mumbled softly.

         Bulma silently sighed in relief. If Pan had done such a thing… She didn't even want to think of what could have happened. It would be chaos, she knew that much. "I'll go get you the rug you wanted. I'm sure Gohan is wondering where you are," she commented in a sweet syrupy voice. She quickly left the room, leaving a trail of papers blowing behind her.

         Pan sighed and began banging her head on the table. _ Where did I get the bright idea to tell Bulma?! Ugh that was the stupidest thing ever. I could have grabbed a dragon radar from Grandma's. Now Bulma will be watching out for me to do this. That's not what I wanted at all. I'll have to sneak around her, and not visit her for a long time. She'll be sure to question me. Kami, I hope she doesn't tell dad. He'd kill me…_Pan's thoughts were interrupted by the returning of Bulma. She was lugging the big rug under her arm.

"Here you go. It's a bit heavy, but you'll be able to handle it easily. You might want to call Nimbus though. You don't want to tire yourself out."

Pan only listened half-heartedly while Bulma tried to tell her that she was weak, or at least, that's what it seemed to Pan. _Just because I'm not as strong as Trunks or Vegeta doesn't make me weak!_ she screamed inside her mind. On the outside though, she smiled a sickly sweet smile and took the rug from Bulma's hands. "I'll see you later Bulma."

"Bye Pan. Tell Gohan that he doesn't owe me a thing in return!"

Pan quickly exited the Capsule Corp building, going out the way she'd came in. She was quite angry now, and she couldn't really figure out why. _Bulma did this…putting done my idea. If she tells dad, I'll get her back. Dad cannot know about this._

Pan continued to think as she tucked the rolled up rug under her right arm, and took to the sky. _No one knows how I feel. Everything's coming to the surface now in one big emotion. Dad never saw the look on my face when I saw a mother and her child. I never knew what feeling that was before… but I do now. It's empty, my heart is empty. Mom, why did you have to die?_ Tears began falling from her face as she thought this. A mother's touch she had never known. Right now, that was all she needed.

Pan's feet landed softly on the ground outside of her home. Her tears had been wind dried and the crying session she had had earlier had no traces left behind. Pan tried to perk up. She didn't want her dad to suspect something. He'd probably blame himself for it. She began walking towards her house, the rug held high above her head to avoid the grass and dirt stains. The house was a simple two-story deal. It was a small house, painted a sky blue with white trimmings and a white oaken door. Gohan (with a little help from Bulma) had built this house by himself for his family 18 years ago. Pan had not been born then, and Gohan and Videl were engaged.

"Dad! I'm home! I got the rug from Bulma's! Come see what it looks like!" Pan shouted as she walked in the door. However, she received no answer back. Pan looked puzzled. Her father always answered her when she got in the door. She shrugged, and figured that he left for a bit. She set the rug down against the wall and walked into the kitchen, looking for a note. Again, she was weirded out. Gohan never left without leaving a note of where he'd be.

She decided to take her book bag up to her room. Maybe dad forgot…I mean, not everyone remembers everything all the time…This thought didn't help to calm the worry that was growing bigger by the minute. Pan ran up the stairs to her room, the pounding of her feet echoing throughout the house. She ran past her dad's room, her nose picking up an odd scent. She ignored it for the moment, opening the door to her room and stepping inside.

As Pan tossed her book bag by her desk, she began to notice something strange. The picture of her mother that'd she'd placed on the side table was missing, the broken frame and glass lying on the floor in front of it. Her mother's Saiyaman II watch was missing, its case overturned on her desk. The stack of photo albums that her dad had given her last night after she'd gone to bed gone, simply gone from their spot on her chair. The white chair now lay turned over on its side. She couldn't understand what had happened. What is going on here? Why is mom's stuff missing? Did someone break in while I was away? Wait a minute.. that's nonsense. No one would break in without getting busted by him… unless he wasn't home… Pan was now utterly scared. If someone had broken in while her dad had been gone, they could still be here, waiting to get her. A descendent of the Son family would be a great treasure for any robber, even if only dead.

She crept out of her room, trying to make as little noise as possible. In her panic, she forgot to sense the ki around her. If she had, she would have realized that there wasn't anyone around for miles. She snuck past her dad's room, that weird smell once again filling her nostrils. She glanced toward his room. The door was slightly ajar. Pan began slowly walking toward her dad's room. As she got closer, the weird smell became stronger. She pushed the door all the way open. When she looked inside, her hand instantly went to her mouth and tears formed in her eyes.

**Earlier that Day**

Gohan had just sent Pan on her way to school. It had taken a bit of encouragement on his part, as Pan was not a morning person. He sighed as he watched her fly off, and then went back inside to clean up from breakfast. Gohan had been a stay-at-home dad ever since Videl had passed away. He had taught himself web design over a period of two years and now hired himself out as a designer for different businesses. He was currently working on a site project for Shackster Pizza, a pizza parlor for today's teens. It had spread throughout the nearby cities wildly, and now the owner wanted a website to do even more promoting of his great idea.

         Gohan sighed, and sat down at the computer desk with a cup of coffee. He was almost finished with the site, but needed to find an attractive theme to use with his layout. He began surfing around online, getting ideas from other sites. Then he began adding in the final coding for the site. He was about halfway done, when his phone rang. He growled lowly, hating to be disturbed when he was working. He picked up the receiver. "Hello? Son Gohan, self web designer, speaking."

         "Mr. Son, Shabuki from Shackster here. Listen up. I need that project site in my office today by noon, no ifs, ands, or buts. You don't show with it, there's no being paid."

         Gohan's anger began to boil. Of all the nerve of that man…my due date was next week and now it has to be done. At least it is almost completed. Gohan finished working on the website around 10 o'clock when he heard a copter whirling outside. The loud whup, whup, whup of the blades was heard crystal clear to Gohan. He gathered the whole project- a CD-rom with the design and a stack of paper about ¼ an inch thick, into a manila envelope already addressed to Shabuki.

         The whup, whup, whup of the helicopter became louder as Gohan stepped outside. He clutched the envelope close to his chest with his left hand as he held his right hand up to shield his eyes from the wind stirring because of the helicopter. As soon as it landed, he rushed over to the left door where the pilot was exiting. "Goten!" called Gohan. "I need you to run me to the city. Shabuki needs my project by noon."

         "That little shit!" Goten was as outraged as his older brother was. "You had until next week to finish it. Why does he need it now?"

         "No idea, Goten. At least I have it finished and I still get paid so that's all that matters right now. Can you take me to the city?"

         "Well… it is my lunch break and I was only coming to see you for a bit…" Goten hesitated in his answer.

         "I'll buy you lunch afterwards if you do." Gohan knew that food was Goten's weakness, just like their father.

         "Deal bro. Better be somewhere good too."

         "Trust me, it will be."

         With that, both brothers jumped in the helicopter and headed for Satan City. Goten had gotten the helicopter free from Trunks. It was Capsule Corp's newest model, an XTS950. Its sleek design and compact cargo bay made it one of the most expensive helicopters on the market. However, Trunks was never one to say no when it came to giving his best friend new vehicles. Trunks never cared; he only wanted to have fun. If he couldn't do it, then he figured Goten was his only other option.

         Goten landed the helicopter on the roof of Shackster Pizza. The actually restaurant was three stories. The first floor held the pizza parlor; the second held the top-notch arcade, and the third a hip hop dance club. "Wait outside Goten. I'll only be a minute."

         Gohan began walking briskly toward the rooftop door. It was actually two doors. The first lead downstairs to the hip hop dance club. The second one led straight to Shabuki Ito's office. Gohan pushed open the second door, a simple gray maintenance door. A resounding bang was heard as it slammed against the stair rail handle opposite it. He ignored the noise and walked down the short flight of red-carpeted stairs, his eyes intent on reaching the elaborately carved door at the end of the short hallway. He rapped lightly and waited for a reply.

         "If you don't have an appointment, scram. I don't need any commoners without any sense entering my office. Give me your name. I haven't got all day," came the gruff response from within.

         "Son Gohan with your completed website project."

         "Slip it through the slot. Your check will be in the mail on Monday. Expect it Thursday. Now go away."

         Gohan's anger began to boil. Rich snobs. If I could, I'd blow that moron away. He turned on his heel and strode back out to the helicopter, fists clenched. Goten noticed, but didn't say a word. He knew a good lunch would soften Gohan's anger quickly. "I know," spoke up Goten, "How about we head to that small buffet place over on Angler Street? I hear it's pretty good. At least, that's what Krillin told me." Gohan merely nodded in response. Goten sighed and headed for Louie's Jubilee.

         When Goten dropped Gohan back off that afternoon, he could tell that Gohan's anger had subsided some and figured that it would pass before Pan came home from school. He knew Gohan had been careful to hide the stress of his work from her, and no doubt he'd hide whatever anger was left as well. Goten couldn't help but wonder again how Gohan would have been different if Videl had still been around. Heh, my adopted sister as I used to call her. She would have known what to do with Gohan. She was one of the few that could always calm him down.

         Gohan slipped inside, sighing deeply. He had nothing to do now that he'd finished that project until someone new called. He'd written down a few prospective customers back when he first started Shabuki's project, but he didn't feel like calling them right at the moment. He walked upstairs to change into something more comfortable, as his current suit and tie was feeling a bit too tight.

         He entered the tan colored room, tossing off his overcoat and tie. He sat down on the bed and the springs creaked as they adjusted to his weight. Untying his shoes, he glimpsed the picture of Videl and him on their wedding day on his side table. He sucked in his breath as memories began to rush to him, but he quickly shut them away.  He didn't want to remember. It was still too painful for him. He had given himself wholly to the only girl he had ever loved, and she had been taken from him over a year later. I could have used the dragonballs… and still can… but she should stay dead right? That's what she would have wanted. That's what I wanted…. But I introduced Pan to a life without a mother. She grew up with only my guidance, but I know she needed Videl's…Another voice took over. Pull yourself together Gohan. You've done a fine job raising Pan and it shows. She's grown up just fine and Videl would have been proud. She still watches her little girl from the heavens. Gohan shook his head to clear away those thoughts. He didn't have time for voices today. Voices always tormented him, so it was best that he shoved them aside as soon as he could.

         Gohan got an idea of how to get rid of his oncoming depression, something that he'd never done in his life ever, but he knew it could… no it HAD to help him. More memories of Videl came rushing to him, and he needed them gone, needed them pushed back done into the very depths of his soul. He quickly crossed the room to his closet and dug deep into the back. His hand searched blindly for a long wooden box. He groped amongst the boxes and piles of clothes, his hand settling on something hard- hard and wooden. He pulled it from the closet and set it on the floor in front of him.

         Gohan stared intently at the box, knowing full well of its contents and their effects on him. He shook away any last minute thoughts that would cause him to change his mind. He flipped the golden latch, and the lid sprung open. Gohan looked at the familiar velvety maroon interior, a liquor bottle resting in its special mold. Gohan picked up the bottle by its long neck. This was the hardest liquor available in Satan City, strong enough for a Saiyan to pass out if he or she drank too much. Krillin had given it to him as a gift at Gohan's bachelor party and been told to "save it for a good occasion eh?". Since then Gohan had kept it hidden in the back of his closet, not knowing what to do with it. However, he knew that he had to use it now. He gripped the bottle, easily popping the cork from its resting space. The cork flew into the back of the bottle and banged against the wall.

Wiping all thoughts from his mind, Gohan rested the lip of the bottle on his own lips and tipped it back. The liquid rushed forth from the bottle, the hard sour taste biting at Gohan's tongue. He found it hard to drink at first, but forced himself to swallow the bitter, biting liquid. He felt his senses disappearing from his control, and slowly he realized he was fading from his own body. He was only able to watch, as though viewing himself through a looking glass, as his Saiyan heritage took over, and he began crying out in frustration for all things Videl.

**Back to Present**

         Tears flowed from Pan's face as she realized what her father had done. She saw the broken liquor bottle on the carpeted floor; it's foul remnants staining. Beside it, she found her father passed out in his own vomit, Videl's possessions spread out all around him. She almost gagged from the stench fouling up the room, making her feel queasy on her stomach. She stepped back into the hallway, tears flowing down her face. She only had one question in mind. Why? Why did her dad do this? Why did he take any of her mom's things he could get his hands on? She shook her head in frustration. She couldn't bear to be here any longer. She had to escape the site she'd seen. She didn't know what else to do.

         Pan flew down the stairs, her mind racing. She grabbed the telephone, blindly punching in her grandma and grandpa's phone number. Her heart raced as she listened to the ringing of the other phone. One ring. Pan wished someone would get the phone. Two rings. Where were they? Three rings. Kami, they've gotta be home. Four… "Hello?" answered an older female's voice.

         "Grandma, something's wrong with dad. Get over here now!" She said it so quickly that Chichi could barely understand the frantic girl, much less respond. Then the line went dead and Chichi became very frightened. Not only for her son, but her granddaughter.

         The phone was left dangling as Pan ran out the door. She took flight, not knowing where to head, but knowing that she had to get away from home. Her mind reeled with what she had seen, never knowing her father to be capable of doing such a thing. It baffled her to think about him without her mind flashing back to the scene she had seen minutes earlier. Her flight took her to Satan City Park, but she was so distracted by her thoughts that she landed in a secluded area without realizing where she was.

         She curled her legs up to her chest under a weeping willow tree. The brook near it babbled softly, salmon jumping as they swam upstream to mate. Her head became buried deep in the folds of her blue jeans, sobbing loudly. She could do nothing else but cry, not caring who or what heard her. She just didn't care anymore.

         Someone else did care though. The girl slipped silently through the bushes, tiptoeing softly. Her face was bathed in concern for the older girl, even if she didn't know her well. She fell to her knees, facing the sobbing Pan. Pan never noticed this. "Pan? What's happened?" she asked softly.

**Sorry to say, but no songs intertwined in this chapter. There'll be one in the next chapter though! Oh yes. Don't kill me for what I did to Gohan! It was just a sudden twist idea I got one night and thought it'd fit with the story. Besides, there hasn't been much focus on Gohan in this fic :P. Anyway, see you all next chapter.**


	5. Someone Does Care, Pan

**So it's taken me forever to update this. I have had this chapter written since last summer, but just never posted it. I finally got the urge to write on this again, so I'm working on chapter 6. We'll see how well I do with keeping up on my work this time around. It's another song fic chapter, so I don't own the Avril song I used so no suing :P**

**I hope you enjoy, and comments are always welcomed. I still think I've written pretty well on this because I look back over a year later and see that I like what I've written. Guess that says something for myself, I think. Anyway, R&R. All characters are not mine, except for Jun, Shane, and Setsei most importantly.**

**Chapter 5: Someone Does Care Pan**

Pan looked up, stopping mid sob. She was surprised at being disturbed, and angry too. Someone had dared to disturb her. Her vision was blurry through all of her tears, but she recognized the figure and her voice after a few moments. "Go away Setsei."

_I'm not afraid of anything_

_I just need to know that I can breathe_

_And I don't need much of anything_

_But suddenly, suddenly_

"Pan, I may not know you very well. Heck, I just met you today. But I do know that you've been acting strangely ever since this morning. Let me help."

"You can help me by going away," Pan answered in a cold voice.

"I will not leave until you tell me what's wrong!" Setsei firmly stood her ground and clenched her fists.

_I am small and the world is big_

_All around me is fast moving_

_Surrounded by so many things_

_Suddenly, suddenly_

Pan's anger rose throughout her body. Why couldn't she be left alone in peace to cry and think? Couldn't a person get that these days? Unnoticeable to Setsei, she began forming a small ki ball in her clenched fist. It wouldn't hurt her much, just enough to scratch the girl and scare her off. "Go. Away. Setsei. Now."

"Listen Pan. You need someone to talk to. I saw you fly here. I know you aren't human and whatever's gotten you upset is pretty bad. Getting it off of your chest will help you, I promise. Trust me."

"NO!" Pan shouted and thrust her hand forward, the ki ball aimed right at Setsei's stomach.

_How does it feel_

_to be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

_How does it feel_

_To be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

_How does it feel?_

Setsei's eyes grew wide as saucers. She froze in her place and could only watch as the softball sized ball headed straight for her. Some nerve in her mind told her that this would hurt. She braced herself, her clenched fists tightening even more in anticipation of the glowing ball.

Pan watched the ki ball hit Setsei square in the stomach. She saw the pain form on the younger girl's face, twisting as she cried out. She watched as Setsei fell to her knees, hands clutching the bleeding cut through her ripped white blouse. "Now, leave me be."

Setsei clenched her eyes shut. Tears slipped through and fell. The pain she felt tremoring through her body was more than she thought that small ball could contain. How she underestimated Pan. She clutched tightly at the stinging, burning cut on her stomach, hoping that it would dull some of the pain. "Why.. Pan?… Why?" she said through her sobs.

Pan couldn't help but watch the girl kneel in her spot and sob. She felt a pang of guilt. This small pang grew bigger and bigger until Pan couldn't believe what she'd done. How… How could I have been so cruel? I.. can't believe… why did I do that? "Setsei… I… I didn't mean to… I just got… too angry." She crawled over to the girl, and hugged her close.

Setsei's thoughts began jumping around. Wait.. she wounds me and then is sorry? Something's funny. Her anger got the better of her, that's all. Nothing more right? I still gotta find out what has her so upset in the first place.

Pan began digging around in a pack on her side. It was a simple first aid kit that she carried with her whenever she went exploring in the nearby forest. She found some soft cloth, and began dabbing at the wound with it, the blood staining the white cloth crimson. There wasn't much blood, but Pan knew that she had put too much power into that tiny ball for such a small girl.

Setsei watched as Pan cleaned up her wound. This girl is quite funny. At least she is kind, almost motherly. "Pan?"

Pan acknowledged her with a terse answer. "Yes?" She was more interested in getting the girl cleaned up. She sprayed some alcohol onto the wound, dabbing around it as Setsei hissed at the stinging sensation. She grabbed some cloth bandages and wrapped them around Setsei's stomach, fastening them with a small metal clip.

Setsei watched all of this in silence before she asked her question again. This time she asked in a softer voice. "Pan, will you tell me what's wrong? I don't mean to intrude, please don't take it as that. I just want to help you."

Pan considered what could happen if she told the girl. She could hide her heritage for now, that could easily be left from her story. But… she'd have to tell Setsei about her mother to explain why her father did what he did. The girl had been caring enough to befriend her and still was a friend even when Pan wounded her. "All right Setsei. I guess I can tell you my story, if you promise to never ever tell anyone."

_I am young and I am free_

_But I get tired and I get weak_

_I get lost and I can't sleep_

_But suddenly, suddenly_

"I promise Pan. I'll never tell a soul… Wild horses couldn't drag it from me," she added, quoting from Anne of Green Gables.

Pan took a deep breath, crawling back over to the weeping willow and resting against it. She motioned for Setsei to join her. As Setsei settled down, Pan began her story, first telling her about how her mother was killed sixteen years ago due to a drunk driver. She watched for any reaction from Setsei.

Setsei bowed her head. She had a bad feeling about that story. There was some memory in the back of her mind that tried to push forth, causing Setsei to remember the exact details. It suddenly burst forth, like a sudden flash of bright light. Her mother had told her something when she was younger, about the father she never really knew. "Um Pan? I think I remember that, but from a different point of view."

Pan looked confused. "Different point of view?"

Setsei nodded. "When I was younger, my mom told me a story about my non-birth dad. He liked to go drinking during the day, and never really worked a real job. One spring afternoon, he was driving home from a friend's private bar, drunk as ever. He always figured that he'd never wreck, but his theory was quite wrong because that day he crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, hitting another car head on at a speed of around 70 mph in a 45 mph zone, and killed the woman inside instantly. I can't recall the woman's first name, but I recall the last name was Son and it never dawned on me until now, but that was your mother, wasn't it?"

Pan was shocked. Her mouth hung open slightly, and she couldn't believe this odd twist of fate. She nodded dumbly, thinking this was some kind of joke. She knew that it wasn't though. Tears began forming. Anger began building, but it wasn't directed at Setsei. How could she be mad at the girl for something her non-birth father had done before she was born? She couldn't, and she knew it. She smiled weakly. "It's ironic, isn't it?"

_How does it feel?_

_To be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

_How does it feel to be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

_How does it feel?_

Setsei nodded. "I'm sorry Pan, so sorry."

Pan shook her head. "Don't be sorry for something that man did. It's not your fault. Anyway… I should finish…" She continued with her story, telling how her father had done his best to raise her right. She told how upset he'd been at his wife's death and she now knew he'd kept that hidden from her as best as he could. Pan then began to tell about what she'd found today- her father passed out drunk from hard liquor. "He'd obviously had a very bad bout of depression and was upset more than ever. I think, especially since next Friday is the anniversary of her death." Pan began sobbing again. She couldn't help but cry.

Setsei reeled from the information that she'd just found out and the information that she'd given Pan. She patted the girl's hand as she cried, letting her get it all out. "Shhh… just cry it all out Pan…."

_Would you come force my hand?_

_Would you cry with my hand?_

_Ahh-ah…_

Pan cried and sobbed for what seemed like an eternity to her. She had to help her father. She knew that he could do this again, and she'd be powerless to stop him. To her, he looked like he was an angry drunk and that was bad, since he was so powerful to begin with. A sparkling of her idea came back to her. Dragonballs… use the dragonballs… "Setsei?".

I am small and the world is big

But I'm not afraid of anything

Setsei looked at the tear-stained faced Pan. "Yeah?"

"If I tell you something that doesn't seem possible to you, but really is, would you believe me?"

Setsei looked confused. Something that doesn't seem possible, but really is? This doesn't make sense. "I will try to Pan, but that's all I can promise."

"What if there were these magic balls that you could gather? And when you had all of the balls, you could summon a magic dragon that would grant you any two wishes that you wanted? Anything?"

"That does seem very far-fetched. I've never read about anything like it."

"They aren't in books Setsei, but they are real. They are called dragonballs; baseball sized orange balls with a red star or stars in the center. There are seven dragonballs spread all over Earth, and if you collect all seven, then you can summon Shenron. Shenron is a big dragon who will grant you any two wishes you want. After the wishes are granted, the balls spread out all over the Earth, becoming inactive for a year. Trust me. They are real."

"It's still very hard to contemplate, Pan. I don't see how such things could exist."

"They were made by the guardian of Earth, Dende. Dende watches over the Earth, taking care of it."

_How does it feel to be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

_How does it feel to be_

_Different from me_

_Are we the same?_

"I.. um… okay Pan." Setsei didn't know what to say anymore. Pan didn't look like she was telling falsehoods. She just couldn't believe without some kind of proof.

"I can show you a dragonball, Setsei. My father keeps the four-star dragonball on the mantle. Would you like to see it?"

"Will I have time to? I need to be home soon…"

"You can stay the night with me, okay? That will give us plenty of time to talk."

"Are you sure it's okay? I mean, what about your dad?"

"My… dad… oh no…. I need to go check on him. I called my grandparents so they'll be with him. Come on. Let's go ask your mom if you can stay over. It'll be okay with my dad so don't worry. We gotta hurry!" Pan stood quickly, rubbing away any leftover tears from her eyes. She reached down and pulled Setsei to her feet quickly, Setsei wincing in pain. "Sorry Setsei. I didn't mean to do that."

Setsei nodded. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get to my house."

"Okay then… but we need to cover up that cut of yours. A ripped shirt isn't something your mom would want to see. Hmm…" Pan reached into her pocket, grabbing a capsule. She pushed the release button and the capsule poofed open, leaving in its place a blue sweatshirt. "Here, tie this around your waist. You can have it for all I care."

Setsei took the sweater and tied it around her waist. She saw that it covered her ripped shirt perfectly. "Now we can go."

It turned out that Setsei's house was only one block from the park. Setsei lived in a fancy neighborhood like Shane and his sister did, but their house wasn't as fancy. It had no double carport, no pool or tennis court behind it, no hedge bushes in the front yard, just a simple brick ranch style house. Setsei led Pan inside and into what was the kitchen. Her mother was busy preparing dinner, and Pan could smell fresh chicken and green beans, amongst other things. She looked up at Setsei's mother, who appeared to be about forty years old. She had waist length brown hair that was in a low ponytail, and wore a simple baby blue dress. "Mom? I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine. Pan, my mom. Mom, Pan."

Setsei's mother turned away from the stove and smiled down at the two girls. "It's nice to meet you, Pan. Setsei hasn't made any new friends since we moved here so I'm very glad that she met you."

Pan bowed in respect to the older woman. "It's nice to meet you too ma'am."

"Mom, Pan would like to know if I could stay overnight with her. Her dad said it was okay."

"I don't see why not. Where do you live Pan?"

"The 409 Mountain district. I know it's very far from the city, but I fly a copter and I can show you my license if you wish. I'm advanced at it, and I don't fly recklessly. I can't do that if I wish to keep my license." She quickly dug around in her pack again, pulling out the red plastic card and handed it to Setsei's mom.

Setsei's mom looked closely at the card. "Hmm… you seem pretty responsible, Pan." She handed it back to Pan. "Setsei, as long as you behave yourself you can stay with Pan. What's your father's name Pan?"

"Son Gohan," answered Pan.

"Hmm.. I think I know him… but I'm not sure."

"He designs websites for small businesses if that helps any," added Pan.

"Ahh… I've seen his business cards then. Well go on upstairs and pack an overnight bag, Setsei. You can show Pan your room while you're at it."

"Yes mom. Come on Pan!" Setsei smiled and grabbed Pan's arm, dragging her toward the hallway.

Setsei's mom turned back to fixing dinner. It's good to see Setsei finally making some friends. Sometimes her being super smart hinders her social skills. She began whistling a small tune, happy to see that Setsei finally had a smile on her face.

As Pan was dragged into Setsei's room, she was surprised to that the room was covered in pictures and posters. She had thought that since Setsei was a genius that her room would be plain and simple with lots of different books. Instead, there were all kinds of posters from different animes, as well as a few of different bands. Pan recognized one from Mellow Paine. She pointed this out. "You like Mellow Paine too? They don't seem like something you'd listen to."

"Well, I like the haunting melodies. The lyrics are superb because you can just feel the angst dripping from each note," answered Setsei from within her closet.

"Heh okies. I never dwelled that deep into their music. I just like the beat."

"You should try to sometime though. The lyrics just make more sense." Setsei crawled back out of the closet, a red duffel bag in her hand. She walked over to her dresser, and quickly pulled some clothes out of it, shoving them into the bag.

"Maybe you can show me sometime." She watched Setsei walk into the small bathroom adjoined to her room.

"That'd work. We could do it tonight if you wanted."

"We could." Setsei came back into the room, overnight bag slung over her shoulder. She had changed out of her ripped shirt into a simple red and white baseball shirt.

"I'm ready to go. Let's go tell my mom that we're leaving."

They quickly said their goodbyes to Setsei's mom and began walking down the street. The sun had just started to set, and Pan realized that she was getting hungry. She guessed that Setsei was too. Then she realized that there wouldn't be any dinner waiting for her. Hell, no one knew where she was for that matter. Her mind wandered to her father and she hoped that her grandma had understood her garbled message and gone to help him. She stared down at the ground miserably.

Setsei noticed this. "What's the matter Pan?"

"Oh nothing… just I wonder how my dad's doing."

"Well, let's hurry up and get in your…." Setsei was cut off by a quick flash of light.

Pan looked up to see Goku standing before her in his orange and blue gi. She was quite surprised. "There you are Pan! I thought I sensed your ki around here." He then noticed another girl with her. "And here's a friend of yours too! Hi Pan's friend. I'm Son Goku!" He was quite happy considering what had happened to his oldest son.

"Grandpa? How's my dad?" Pan asked, worry in her voice.

Goku knelt down to Pan's level. "He's doing fine Pan. He just woke up a bit ago and is resting in bed. I came to find you, so that you could talk to him. I know it must have been quite a shock for you to find him like that." Pan only nodded. "Who's your friend?" Goku asked, gesturing toward Setsei.

"This is Setsei. I asked her to stay the night with me. That's okay right?"

"Your dad shouldn't mind Pan. Now, let's get you back home."

"Are we all going to be able to fit in Pan's copter Mr. Son?" asked Setsei curiously.

"Copter? Oh no. We're not taking Pan's copter. I'm going to use instant transmission. It's so much faster."

A look of confusion was plastered across Setsei's face. "I've never heard of such transportation. What kind of scientific formula is used?"

"Um… I… well… I'll tell you later Setsei. Just hold onto my arm," instructed Pan, as she held her grandfather's hand. Setsei grabbed her hand.

"Ok…" Goku suddenly blinking out cut off any more questions that Setsei may have had. They quickly reappeared outside Pan's house, and Setsei glanced around at her surroundings, quickly soaking in the details. "The sky… is so bright…" she muttered as the first stars of the night became visible. The full moon illuminated the blue on Pan's house. Setsei noticed that only a few rooms had lights lit in them.

Pan barely heard what Setsei said. She was beginning to get nervous about what her father would say and think. Or what her grandma would say about her running off. She hoped it wouldn't mean trouble. Goku didn't seem mad about her running, but then again he was almost always happy. "Come on Setsei. Let's go inside." The three of them of them walked inside the house, as the door softly shut behind them.


	6. The Broken Father She Loved

**Okay I know I haven't updated this in a very long time. It's not because I don't know what I want to do with the story; it's because I mostly lack inspiration to write. Anyway, I finished adding three paragraphs to this and decided to post it. This story has been going on for two years now and I'm not going to just let it die. Please read and enjoy.**

**Chapter 6: The Broken Father She Loved**

Goku looked at both girls when they were inside the door. "Setsei, you wouldn't mind staying down here while Pan goes up to see her dad right?"

"I don't mind at all Mr. Son."

Goku nodded and pointed toward the living room. "You can go watch TV in the living room while Pan and I go upstairs to see her dad then." Then he led Pan up the stairs to her father's room. He was silent the whole way, and for a minute Pan thought that his hyper act was put on for Setsei's benefit, the kind of act every parent uses when they want to be nice in public every so often. She lowered her head, feeling miserable. Goku noticed, but didn't say anything. He knew that she wouldn't be comforted until she actually talked to her dad.

They reached the top of the stairs and Pan noticed that the door to Gohan's room was slightly ajar. A soft female voice drifted from the room into the hallway. Goku pushed Pan ahead of him, giving her the signal to go into the room. Pan looked back at her grandfather, and he could see that she was scared. He only nodded at her, giving her a slight smile of reassurance.

Pan sighed and took a deep breath. She then pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside. The door slid back, creaking eerily as ungreased hinges groaned. Chichi looked up from the bed and Pan half smiled at her. Pan didn't want to look, but some unknown force inside her forced her to look at her father. As she did, she noticed his face was pale and drawn, aging him older than he really was. His eyes looked tired, but they turned to face Pan and the black irises locked with her own. "Pan…" he began weakly.

"Yes dad?" It was hard to speak and her voice quivered.

"Pan… what I did… is something I never should have done."

"I know." She didn't what else to say. What do you say to the man you loved who did something terribly unlike himself?

"I miss your mother. She was the love of my life, the light in my candle. She always had a bright and fiery outlook on life, as if no one could squelch that flame. But someone did… and I regret every day that she was taken from this world too soon. I wish it had never happened, but we can never return to the past or float by on the what ifs of life. My reaction today, however, was uncalled for. I was having trouble, but drinking was not the answer. I not only endangered myself, but you as well. You've already lost one parent; you don't need to lose another."

Pan lowered her head and nodded. What should she say? She didn't know and was at a loss for words. "I'm… sorry too, dad…" she whispered as she turned and walked out of the room, tears falling silently.

Gohan turned to face his mother. "I messed up again…."

Pan trudged slowly down the stairs again, feeling no better about anything. The tears slid slowly down her face and she cried silently. She walked toward the living room, where Setsei was supposed to be. The room was dark and quiet when she arrived and she wondered where Setsei had wandered off. She saw another light dancing on the floor, and followed it. She knew she was heading toward the library, and knew her grandfather wouldn't dare go in there; he didn't like books for the sole reason that they couldn't spar with him and that he feared Chichi beating them into his head like she did with Gohan. Pan's only conclusion was that it could be Setsei, but she was pleasantly shocked when she stepped across the threshold.

There she saw Goku and Setsei, sitting together on the red leather couch that her father kept in the library. Setsei had a book entitled _A Beginner's Astrology Guide_ and was reading it to Goku, who seemed fascinated by it all. Pan stood there and watched the two—Setsei reading and pointing out the meaning of the pictures on the pages after doing so. Goku would then point out different constellations he'd seen, or ask questions. Setsei didn't seem bothered by this; in fact, she seemed quite used to this kind of exchange.

**Flashback**

Young Setsei sat upon her mother's lap, a picture book about the stars opened in front of her. "Look, Setsei. There's the moon. The moon comes out at night. It provides light to people outside."

"Look mommy. The moon has different shapes. The moon is round here and very skinny here." Pudgy fingers pointed out the changes in the moon's shape.

"Do you know what those different shapes are called?"

"Phases mommy. The moon has different phases that change each month." Setsei clapped for herself. She enjoyed learning about the moon and stars. "Mommy, how many stars are in the sky?"

"No one knows. We do know there's billions and billions of stars up there, big and little balls of light."

"Where do the stars come from? How do they get up in the sky like that? Did someone throw them up there?" Setsei fired a round of questions at her mother.

"I can't really answer that for you Setsei. You'll have to learn that on your own dear." She smiled warmly at her daughter, and saw a fierce passion to discover the secrets behind the stars. Salina knew she'd been given a gifted child, and was more than happy to indulge in Setsei's quest for knowledge. Setsei was barely six, yet so eager to learn about everything, but she loved the stars the most. They were her favorite subject.

"Mommy, when people die, do they become stars?" Setsei asked an honest question, albeit it being a bit dark.

"What?… oh no dear. When people die they go to this place called heaven and become angels if they are good people. If they are bad people then they go to a bad place where all kinds of other bad people go."

"Is that where Malcolm is going? For killing that other lady?"

"Setsei! You must never speak of that man! He was very very bad!" Salina reprimanded Setsei a little more harshly than she meant to, and Setsei began to whimper. Malcolm wasn't even Setsei's real father, yet somehow she'd found out about him. Salina embraced her daughter in a motherly hug. "I'm sorry dear. It's just he's someone we mustn't talk about. He was very bad. Now, what else do you want to know about the stars? Oh I know. Do you know what the study of the stars is called?"

"Um…. Study of the Stars?" Setsei guessed.

Salina laughed a little. "Not quite. It's a big word so I'll say it slowly. As-tro-lo-gy. Astrology."

"Astroolowgy?" Setsei tried pronouncing the word, while pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"As-tro-lo-gy," repeated her mother.

"Astrolowgy," answered Setsei again.

"You're getting much better at pronouncing these big words, Setsei."

"I'm a big girl mommy. I can handle big words."

Salina laughed again. "Yes you can love." She looked up as she heard a stomping coming down the steps. It was Tommy, her husband and Setsei's real father. Her face became etched with worry as she saw the worn black suitcase in his left hand. "Tommy…" she set Setsei on the couch and stood to face him.

"Salina, it's over. I'm leaving on the next train outta Tarek City. We tried and it's not working. So I'm fixing the problem by leaving," responded Tommy in a cool voice. Tommy was a gruff man, 6' 5" tall with black greased back hair. He had a narrow face that wasn't always neatly shaven, but was never out of control either. He had on his motorcycle gear even though he no longer owned a motorcycle.

"But Tommy… We were trying.. We were working through things… We were doing well…" Salina's eyes welled with tears and her voice became softer as realization sank in.

"No Salina. You were just living a dream that'd never come true. Don't you see? We aren't happy and we won't be. Things aren't going to work out like a storybook." Tommy walked over to the coat rack, grabbing his leather jacket and flinging it over his shoulder.

Setsei watched this exchange from the couch, her eyes wide. She didn't know what was going on, only that her mommy was upset and daddy was catching a train. He'd be back wouldn't he? He always came back after trips. But then why was mommy so upset? "Mommy?…."

"Setsei go upstairs to your room," Salina said sternly.

"But…" Setsei began to cry. She didn't know what was going on.

"Let her be Salina. I want to say goodbye to my daughter." Tommy kneeled down, and held his arms out. "Come here, Setsei. Daddy's gotta go catch a train."

Setsei stood glued to her spot, crying. She held her picture book to her chest now, the only comfort she had. Something bad was going on, and she didn't know what it was. So she did the only thing she could. She ran out of the room.

"See what you did now, Salina? You scared her off again," yelled Tommy angrily. He picked up his bags and opened the door. "I hope you rot in hell," he yelled as he slammed the door shut behind him, the walls shaking with the force of it.

Salina fell to her knees and sobbed, her heart shattered. Tommy had lied to her yet again. She sobbed and sobbed, Setsei temporarily forgotten. And somewhere in a dark corner, a little girl hugged a picture book as she cried herself to sleep.

**End Flashback**

The memory of what had happened to Setsei as a young child no longer plagued her like it used to. In fact, it just fueled her desire to learn and survive on her own. The former she could do; the latter was another story. She found it odd that she was teaching an old man about the stars, but he liked them as much as she did, even if he didn't know too much about them. "So if the world is so technical these days, then how come we don't know how many stars there are in the sky?" asked Goku.

"There's no way to tell how many, sir. We will never know beyond uncertain estimates."

"I told you to call me Goku."

"Okay Goku."

Setsei glanced up and noticed Pan in the doorway. "I have to go now Goku. You keep looking at this book if you like." She walked over to Pan and together they walked out of the library, leaving Goku to continue to look at the book. "I'm sorry about not being in the living room, but Goku thought that I would like the library." When Pan didn't answer her, she glanced at the other girl. She couldn't see much of anything in the dark though. She decided it best to keep quiet and followed Pan.

Pan led Setsei through the dark house, stopping in a dimly lit room. As Setsei's eyes adjusted, she could tell that they were in the kitchen, and her stomach rumbled hungrily. She'd forgotten she'd not eaten since lunch. She squinted as the refrigerator door opened and new light appeared. She watched the silhouette of Pan scrounge through the shelves, setting things on the counter beside her as she made her choices. Setsei only saw the shadows of food, heard the sounds as the glass plates were set onto the marble countertop.

The light soon disappeared and Pan walked over to flip the light switch. Light flooded the kitchen and Setsei could actually see her surroundings. She rubbed her eyes to help them adjust to the bright light. It was then that Setsei got a glimpse at Pan's reddened face. She saw the tear streaks and frowned. "Pan… are you all right?"

"Fine, fine."

Pan's terse response told Setsei that everything was _not_ fine; Setsei wondering if she should say anything, but realized that saying something could ruin everything. She honestly wondered if there was anything to be said to Pan to make things even slightly better. All the thinking began to hurt Setsei's brain. Questions surfaced in her mind, questions about Pan's father and his condition, but Setsei knew it would be rude to ask. Instead, she watched silently as Pan made what appeared to be sandwiches, slowly, robotically. It was as if someone else had taken over Pan's body. Setsei gasped when a plate was set in front of her, shaking her from her reverie.

Setsei looked down at her plate, guessing that her sandwich was peanut butter and jelly. As she picked up the soft sandwich, she glanced over at Pan, who was chewing the same piece of sandwich for the twentieth time. Setsei couldn't bear to see anyone in this much pain; it was draining her appetite just looking at the girl. Slowly, she set her sandwich down on the table, removing herself from her chair. She hoped Pan didn't notice as she cast a sideways glance to her right. Pan's head was turned in the other direction, jaws still chewing in that same robotic fashion.

When she felt those arms around her waist, she gasped. Pan was slammed back into reality by this somewhat frail gesture of kindness. As Pan looked around at the source, she saw Setsei holding her tightly in a warm embrace. It was something Pan hadn't felt in her lifetime. Her father never hugged her like this, like, like_…. A mother_…the words shot forth brilliantly into Pan's mind. It was comforting and consoling; Pan understood Setsei's concern now. "Thank… Thank you, Setsei." Pan smiled down at the younger girl, and received a genuine smile in return. Suddenly, the night seemed a whole lot better.

**And thus ends this chapter. And no, this ending does not mean the two are bisexual! Anyway, please review. I've actually been working on chapter 7 and will post it hopefully within the next month or less! Review!**


	7. It Came to Me in a Dream

**Disclaimer: All characters not mine, except for Setsei, Tommy, Salina, Shane, and Jun. Everything else I do not own. Also a reminder, this story is AU. I don't know if I've mentioned this or not. Majin Buu existed, but never destroyed the entire Earth. He was never allowed to get that powerful. Ehem… anyway here's chapter 7… two chapters in less than a week. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 7 It Came to Me in a Dream**

It was much later when the girls finally decided to get some rest. Pan slept in her own bed, and Setsei slept in a sleeping bag on the floor. Both fell asleep pretty quickly, mind and body exhausted. As Setsei slept soundly, Pan's body tossed and turned, caught up in a dream.

**Dream**

Pan found herself amid swirls of blues, pinks, and purples. She stood still, her feet seemly glued to the ground. Her eyes searched the area around her, struggling to find answers to this confusing puzzle. As she looked around, white balls began to appear before her eyes, each at different heights and places. Pan counted the balls to herself- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7… 7 balls altogether, each one shining in a brilliant white. Why seven balls? Why white? Why?…. These questions flowed through Pan's mind, questions she couldn't find any answer to.

While Pan was lost in though, the balls began to change from white to a light orange. Red dots appeared on each ball, each one shaping, morphing. Each dot came to rest on its destined spot, finishing its metamorphosis into a star. When Pan looked at the final product, she saw not seven white balls, but seven orange dragon balls. Each one hovered in the air, seemingly glaring at her. The balls began to rotate around Pan's head, first slowly, then quicker. Each ball emitted a low whistling sound, that got louder and louder with each rotation. It was enough to make Pan cover her ears and close her eyes to try and get rid of it. She couldn't hold her hands close enough to completely get rid of the sound; it was always there, a haunting melody. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the noise stopped. Pan thought she was dreaming, but decided to chance removing her hands from her ears. She did, and gasped at what she saw.

The dragon balls had now come to settle away from Pan. Instead, they rested around a figure seated in a rocking chair. There was something strikingly familiar about the woman there; she cradled something in her arms, protectively. All of her attention was on the cradled bundle, and she never even looked up at Pan. Pan watched the woman, intent on seeing what she did next. The woman rocked back and forth slowly with her right foot, keeping a steady pace. The bundle began to stir and Pan saw two little hands reach up. Low cries were heard; the woman began to softly shush the child, humming softly. "Hush little Panny, don't say a word. Mommy's gonna find you a dragon ball. And if that dragon ball don't shine…."

"…Mommy's gonna find you another one…." Pan softly finished the song. She had never known her mother sang her that song; she had always thought her father made it up. He never told her that her mother used to sing it to her daily…..

**Flashback (A/N: Yeah and in a dream too:P)**

The little infant cried and cried. Her little hands punched at the air, her feet kicking wildly. She was only a month old, but her parents would have sworn it was more like six. A frayed young mother hurried into the room. "Panny, Panny, it's okay…shhhh… mommy's here…" Videl then began to sing the only song that would calm her baby down every time. She had just made it up one day after Pan had come home from the hospital; she had already sung all the nursery rhymes and baby songs she could think of. Nothing had worked until this. Pan was a very colicky baby. She kept her parents awake most of the night so often that they had begun taking turns sleeping away from home, just to get a full night's rest.

Once Pan had settled some, Videl carried her over to the changing table. She gently laid Pan down, and unbuttoned her onesie. As Videl changed her baby's diaper, she gently blew air onto Pan's belly button. This neat sensation brought a slight smile to Pan's face and she looked happy. Videl sighed and only hoped that this moment would last.

"There's my two favorite girls," called a voice softly from across the room.

Videl turned, and smiled when she saw Gohan. "She's not doing any better today. It's been really rough. How are we ever going to make it through the first year? It feels like it's been a year and it's only been a mouth." Tears formed in Videl's eyes. "Gohan, why did we do this when we are so young? We should have waited, we should have…."

Gohan walked over to her and put his arm around her waist. With his other hand he began to rub Pan's tummy. "We should have did exactly this. You are a good mother Videl. Look at Pan. Look at how well she is growing. Look at how smart she is. She's just going through a rough time. This isn't any easier for her than it is us." Inside Gohan felt the same as Videl; he thought they were too young as well, but time cannot be changed and Gohan would not give up his daughter for anything. He wiped away one of Videl's tears and smiled softly at her. "Tell you what… I'll take Pan for a bit and you go rest okay? You're making me even more tired just looking at you!"

A small smile appeared on Videl's face. "Stop teasing. I'll go rest for a bit, and then fix dinner for us. Pan has a bottle in the fridge that you can warm up in about a half hour. She's due to eat then, but if she's not crying yet, then hold off until she does. If you…"

"We'll be fine Videl." Gohan picked up Pan and cradled her gently in his arms. It was kind of humorous to look at- one of Earth's most powerful beings holding one of Earth's most delicate creatures. "Now go on and get some sleep."

Videl turned and began to walk toward the bedroom the couple shared. She could hear Gohan singing the dragon ball song to Pan. The notes floated down the hallway, calming not only Pan, but her as well. "Hush little Panny don't you cry. Daddy's gonna find you a dragon ball. And if that dragon ball don't shine, daddy's gonna find you another one. Gohan sung the song repetitively; the soft lullaby soothed Videl into a peaceful sleep. She never knew that Gohan had stood outside the door with Pan in his arms, singing it to her.

**End Flashback**

Pan listened for the baby's cries, but none were heard. The bundle had stopped moving and the woman, her own mother, smiled with relief and once again the rocking resumed a regular pace. Tears slowly ran down Pan's cheeks, but she wiped them away. She hated to be crying like this, but she had experienced a touching moment like none other. She wanted to run over there, hug her mother, tell her how much she'd grown, how much she loved her, _everything._ Yet, this was only a dream and dreams don't come true.

_They come true with dragon balls_ thought Pan angrily. And just as her dreamself thought this, a new person poofed in. It was an angry Bulma. "What did I tell you about using the dragon balls for this! You can't do this! Your father commanded she be left alone! Son Pan don't even think of it!" Bulma came closer with every new word until Pan could feel the spit as she spoke. Bulma finally disappeared, and Pan was left to gaze at her mother and her infant form whilst the dragon balls floated overhead. It wasn't far to her. _I can so use the dragon balls. Dad wouldn't have to know about it!_ A hole opened below her feet; Pan screamed as she began descending into the unknown, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

The air whistled and screamed by her for sometime before stopping. When Pan finally opened her eyes, she was met with the beauty of a mountainous landscape. Here the trees were in springtime bloom and the brightest, healthiest shade imaginable. The skies were a bright blue with very few puffy white clouds. The air was warm with a slight breeze. Pan looked to the mountains and noticed what a lovely shade of brown they were. The air smelled earthily. Pan looked down, and noticed she wasn't on the ground, but floating mid-air. She wondered what she was doing in this particular location and began looking and listening for any clues. Her attention became drawn to something behind her; voices were coming from one of the mountainsides.

As she turned, she realized she recognized the voices. Her own and Setsei's. Pan wanted to get a closer view, and tried to fly in that direction, discovering she controlled this part of herself in this dream. She saw herself hovering and helping Setsei climb up the mountain. Pan wondered why she didn't just carry Setsei and fly; it was much easier that way. This was a dream though. Her thoughts then turned to why she and Setsei were here in the first place. _Why am I here? And why did I bring her? What exactly is this dream all about anyway?_

"Over there! Behind that crevice in the granite!" shouted a triumphant Setsei. This was enough to bring Pan out of her thoughts and back to her dreams.

Pan watched as her other self dove behind a rock to retrieve whatever it was that Setsei had found. "Good job Setsei! That makes the third one we've found so far. At this rate, we'll have them all by Thursday evening." Pan raised the object high over her head before sticking it in a satchel.

Pan gasped. It was the 7 star dragon ball! _If my dream self means this Thursday coming…. it all makes sense. She was trying to do in time for the anniversary of her mother's death!_ She could do it. "I can do it!" she shouted. "I can and I will! They'll see! I'll show them!"

**End Dream**

"…They'll see… I'll show them…. I can do it…." Pan mumbled in her sleep. Her covers had been tossed aside and off the bed, where they currently rested on Setsei's head. After the dream, her body settled into a deep sleep, her talking becoming less and less. So rolled over and snuggled deeper into her pillow.

Pan awoke to the not-so-nice bright sunlight. She groaned and rolled over, not wanting to wake up quite yet. The sun's rays weren't giving up though. "Fine, fine, you win stupid sun…." she mumbled. She sat up and yawned, stretching her arms. She glanced over at Setsei, and giggled when she noticed the girl completely covered by her own blankets. "Oh Setsei…. Wake up!" called Pan.

The mass under the blankets began to stir. "What the…." Came the voice as Setsei realized that something was covering her. The movement increased and two flailing arms appeared from under the mass of blankets, then a head full of mussed hair. "Pan why are your blankets all over me?" asked Setsei as she tried to straighten her morning hair and make it look somewhat normal.

"I really don't know and I can't answer that. They were there when I woke up," answered Pan, giggling slightly.

Setsei fumbled around, tossing away all of the blankets. "You seem quite cheerful this morning. What brought the sudden change about?" questioned Setsei. She was quite surprised at how different Pan was compared to last night.

"Last night I had a very… strange dream. I think it showed me what I needed to do though. I'm going to go find the dragon balls. I'm going to wish my mom back to life."

"But Pan, what about the consequences? What will your father think?" asked Setsei. This didn't seem reasonable. It didn't seem right at all. She was trying to be the voice of reasoning.

"Setsei, my dream showed me my mother. I was there too, but I was an infant cradled in her arms. The dragon balls floated around my mother. They were encouraging me."

"Encouraging you to keep something sacred. Pan, do you realize what you are truly doing? I know next to nothing about the dragon balls, but to bring back a someone who's been dead for almost sixteen years can have serious consequences."

"Setsei, you don't know what it's like to grow up without a mother. To grow up without someone who was dearly loved and you were so tiny you can't even remember them. I have no memories of my mom. I was only three months old. I couldn't. I want to get to know my mom, want to know what she was like. I want to find the missing piece of me."

"Pan, what will your mother think of you bringing her back? Did you consider her emotions? She might not be as happy as you think she will be."

Pan's emotions were brought back to Earth with this serious confrontation. What exactly would her mother think? Would she scold Pan for being so careless? Pan didn't want to abandon her idea though. She had a feeling, deep inside, that some good would come of this, but that might come after much pain and hassle. She knew it was worth it. _Forgive me for what I'm about to do mom… but I love you so much and I have to know you. I want to know my own mom and to do that I have to use the dragon balls._

"Setsei, I have to do this. I have no choice. Mom will forgive me. I just have to know what it's like to have a mother for once. I have to…"

Just then there was a loud knocking on Pan's door. Pan made shushing sound with her right index finger. Setsei nodded, sighing. _This isn't over yet Pan…_ "Come in!" called Pan.

The door creaked open and in shuffled Chichi. Ah good. You girls are up. I hope you slept well. Pan, your father is doing much better. I made sure of it," said Chichi in a slightly devilish voice, leaving Pan and Setsei to wonder just exactly what the mother had did to her son. You never could tell with Chichi. "If you girls will come downstairs, you can join Goku for breakfast. If you don't hurry, I'm afraid he'll eat everything before you get down there."

Setsei got a weird look on her face. Chichi realized she'd said the wrong thing, but it was too late to take it back now. She tried to come up with a quick excuse. "You know Goku, Pan—he has such a ferocious appetite these days!" A fake smile plastered her face, but she hoped Setsei bought it. Come join us when you're ready!" She shut the door behind her and sighed, rolling up her sleeves. _Time to go cut a hungry Saiyan's breakfast period short…the frying pan should do the trick nicely…_

Setsei turned back to Pan, choosing to ignore the scenario before her. Things were strange, but getting Pan to see what she was truly doing was more important. "Pan, are you absolutely certain you want to do this? What if your father found out?"

"He's not going to find out, Setsei," Pan answered, giving a death glare. "I'm keeping her away from him. They won't cross paths because I'll make sure that she is wherever dad isn't."

"Pan, there's just one problem with that plan—throwing aside the fact that your mother might not be too happy with the whole ordeal to begin with, don't you think she'd want to see her husband? I don't know too much about your parents, but if I were brought back from the dead, I'd like to see my loved ones."

Pan knew she couldn't just push aside Setsei's question, but she did know that she could avoid it to an extent. "I'd deal with that problem when I came to it."

"Pan, stop being selfish! I can't believe you're going to risk all of this just to see your own mother! These dragon things are making you selfish! You wouldn't even have this option if you were me!" Setsei couldn't yell, but she could raise her voice. She may have been short, but she did have quite a temper when it flared. "You can't do this to your family. It could have tragic proportions, something that I can't even foresee! That's just how terrible all of this can be! Think about what you're doing! Really think about it because I don't think you have. Think about what you're doing- to yourself, your family, and your mother." With that, Setsei went silent. She knew she'd gotten her point across.

"Setsei, I'm gonna do this whether you think it's right or not. I think it's right and that the outcome will be better than any consequences. You don't have to see her even. Just help me gather the dragon balls. I could use a hand. And if I get in trouble, you won't."

"Pan, I don't think you understand what you're saying at all. I'm going to have to think about this. If you push me, I'll refuse."

Pan waved her hand. "Okay, it's up to you then."

**Hope you enjoyed that chapter. I have no idea when the next one will be out, but I can try my best! Review please.**


	8. A Heavy Burden

**Hehe finally figured out chapter 8... More flashbacks and Bulma is in one of them. I seem to do well with her character. Anyway, enjoy! **

**Chapter 8 A Heavy Burden**

Throughout the rest of the morning, Setsei stayed quiet. She didn't even question the large amounts of food sitting on the breakfast table and counters, or how much food Goku was inhaling at inhuman speeds, even after Chichi hit him repeatedly with a frying pan. The whole breakfast scenario would have made any human consider the entire family crazy and send the person run screaming, but somehow Setsei was able to ignore everything surround her. All she could focus on was how selfish Pan was being about the whole situation. It angered Setsei that she could not convince Pan what terrible consequences could occur. She may not know much about those dragon balls, but she did know about human feelings.

Setsei still refused to speak much to Pan, even when Pan was flying her home. She stared out the window instead. The day was peaceful, clouds floating slowly by. The breeze was light and airy. If only Setsei felt the same way; she sighed and tried not to think too much about the decision she had to make.

"Setsei, we're almost back to the city. I've got to land the chopper on the school's roof. There's no room nearby your home," said Pan as she stared ahead, concentrating on her piloting.

"It's okay," replied Setsei, not even turn to look at Pan. Really Pan was lying and there was someplace closer to land, but she wasn't feeling the best toward Setsei. She had hoped the girl would agree instantly to her plan, no matter if she had just met her. Pan knew what she was doing and she had a plan, but why couldn't Setsei see that? She had everything under control. Her plan would go without a hitch. It wouldn't be hard to find where the dragon balls were located; Pan could easily get a dragon radar from Capsule Corp. All she had to do was ask her Uncle Goten to get it for her; he gave her whatever she liked as long as she didn't ask for too much. And unlike Bulma, he wouldn't ask too many questions. All she had to do was say that her father wanted her to learn how it worked, and Goten would be lured, hook, line, and sinker.

Pan tried not to focus on Setsei and the dilemma and instead tried to focus on exactly what she needed to accomplish her mission. Everything had to be carefully planned if everything were to be ready by Thursday evening. Nothing could go wrong… if she started everything on Monday, then she'd have to gather two dragon balls a day some days and who knew how far apart on the Earth they'd be? She knew the location of only one dragon ball—the four-star one. She saw it every time she passed the mantle in the living room. There it sat, placed on top of a velvet red pillow. Behind it sat a picture of Gohan and Videl on their wedding day. Gohan held his new bride close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist; Videl laid her head against his chest, her hand gently placed on his shoulder. The light and promise shown in their eyes as brightly as the dawning of a new day. Neither of the two could ever have known that barely more than a year later, their marriage and future life together would be cut short by the acts of a drunken maniac.

Her mom had requested the dragon radar from Bulma back when she and Gohan were still engaged. Pan didn't know much about the entire story, but she did know it was her mother's gift to her husband. Videl had found out the history of the four-star dragon ball in the Son family and how it had originally been part of the hat Gohan had worn as a child. A picture of Gohan with his hat on sat underneath the dragon ball on the pillow. Videl had had it painted by one of her father's artists; she had taken old photographs that Chichi had given her and allowed the artist to construct a new image from these. Videl had saved her gift for Gohan until just the right time…

**Flashback**

It was late evening when the newly-wed couple finally arrived at their hotel room. It had been a very long trip; instead of flying themselves to their honeymoon destination, they had borrowed one of Capsule Corp.'s planes. Gohan set the luggage down by the door as Videl walked over to the balcony window. She was dressed in pale blue jeans with a pink t-shirt. She reached out to pull back the maroon curtains; as she did brilliant shades of oranges, reds, and purples burst through the window, throwing the light across the bedroom suite. Videl gasped at the beauty of the landscape before her. "Oh Gohan… it's so… so beautiful." And indeed it was. In front of them was a lush island landscape, with a dormant volcano lying in the background. To the right was the clear blue ocean, complete with a white sandy beach. She turned to face Gohan.

"When Bulma said this was the best spot for a honeymoon, Videl, she wasn't going to kid you," answered Gohan softly.

Videl looked her husband up and down. He was so handsome to her, even though he was simply in jeans and a t-shirt. She smiled and placed her arms around his shoulders. "Just think of all the fun we could have exploring down there."

"We have the whole week ahead of us to do that. Tonight, let's just stay in and enjoy being together…" whispered Gohan.

Videl smiled. "That reminds me… I still have your gift to give you. I think it's perfect for you." She walked over to where Gohan had set their luggage and grabbed the smallest bag. Unzipping it, she pulled out a pale blue box wrapped with white ribbon. She sat on the bed and motioned for Gohan to sit next to her. Gohan smiled at her and sat across from her.

"If what's inside is as nice as the box is, I know I'll love it," remarked Gohan as Videl handed him her package.

"It's not the most expensive or elaborate thing in the world, but I guarantee that it will hold some cherished memories," commented Videl mysteriously.

Gohan untied the ribbon from around the package and set it aside. As he opened the box, he could see the slight glimmer of orange peeking back at him. Upon fully removing the lid he saw the four-star dragon ball sitting on a plush pillow. Underneath the dragon ball, Gohan could see the corner of a picture frame. He lifted the dragon ball from the pillow and picked the picture frame up. He smiled at his child self, so happy and young and naïve. The little boy in the photo wore the icon outfit and hat, his tail waving happily in the air. Gohan smiled and pulled his wife to him. "How did you know this would be the perfect gift?"

"It took a little bit, but I talked to Chichi and Gohan, and they showed me some old photographs. There were also some interesting bath ones of you as well…." Videl grinned wickedly.

Gohan turned bright red and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh really now… ehehehehe…. Well you know my mom…."

"Gohan it wasn't that bad! It's not like I've never seen those pictures before," replied Videl.

"Youuuu... haven't?" Gohan's face was a fire-engine red now.

"Nope. Your mom made it a habit to show me all of the family photos while we were engaged. It just so happened that she had a full album of you in the bath."

"Oh dear… that's… that's my mom for you…" mumbled Gohan, embarrassed.

Videl kissed his lips. "That's a nice shade of red on you, dear."

Gohan's goofy grin only got bigger. _I'm gonna kill my mom later…_ "Thanks for the wedding gift Videl. It's the most wonderful thing anyone has ever given me. I know the perfect place to put it when we move into our new home too."

"Where would that be?" asked Videl.

"Right on the mantle in the living room where everyone can see it. That way, they'll know how much we cherish each other, no matter what troubles are thrown our way."

Unfortunately, troubles came sooner than Gohan would have wished and his faith to his wife would be tested beyond anything he could ever have imagined. After Videl died, Gohan's only strength was drawn from her gift upon the mantle. Every time he thought of how Videl had come about getting his gift together, he smiled sadly, hanging his head. There were times when all he could do was stare at the dragon ball, baby Pan in his arms. He treasured that four-star dragon ball more than anything else he owned. It was the only material possession that he really cared about. Exactly one year after Videl had passed on, he placed their wedding picture behind the dragon ball. The mantle had become a tribute to his wife.

**End Flashback**

Pan sighed. She really hated taking her father's wedding gift from right under his nose. He'd be sure to know something was up. She'd have to save taking it until the very last minute, right before she summoned Shenron. If she took it first thing, her father would be bound to know something was up, and Pan knew that he'd try to stop her. However, she also knew there'd be hell to pay because after she summoned Shenron, the dragon balls would disappear and be inactive for a year; Pan would have to wait until the dragon balls were active again before searching for the four-star dragon ball. Unfortunately, she knew her father's wrath would not wait that long; she only hoped that he was more understanding than she thought.

As they came upon the outskirts of Satan City, Pan began to focus on maneuvering her helicopter through the city and to the roof of the high school. She thought about prolonging Setsei's going home, but she knew that wouldn't help the position she'd put Setsei in, which was already touchy as is. However, Pan got an idea at the last minute and swerved the helicopter to the right. She wanted to show Setsei something; That something may persuade Setsei to agree with Pan and right now, Pan needed every bit of positive hope she could get.

Setsei looked up and to Pan as she noticed the sudden jerk in the helicopter's path. "Pan, where are we going? I thought we were going to the school?" ask Setsei, confused.

"We are, but we need to make a side stop first. I want to show you something," answered Pan as she gazed straight ahead, eyes focused on getting to her new destination. Setsei noticed the new look of determination and sighed. She had no idea what Pan was up to, but whatever it was wasn't meant for just kicks.

The grass swirled, flattened, and blew as the wind created by the helicopter roared at an incredible speed, finally slowing to a stop. As the swirled slowly, the two doors on the helicopter opened, Setsei and Pan stepping onto the grass. Setsei glanced around at her settings. There was an oak tree in the middle of the area. Around it was a high grayish-white wall. Near the oak tree were a few tombstones. Something clicked in Setsei's mind.

"Follow me, Setsei." Pan's simple command echoed across the yard. Setsei followed, but her eyes were still trying to glimpse at everything around her. It was then that she noticed a two story house in the distance.

"Pan, where are we?" asked Setsei in a quiet whisper. She sensed the serene calm about this area; it felt as though she was inside a church, except the church was all around her. There was a higher presence here; Setsei could feel it deep inside her.

"This is my grandpa's family burial plot. My mother is buried here," whispered Pan.

"Why is she here and not somewhere nearer to your home?"

"Grandpa said it was best because it would keep the media goons away from his baby. This area is very well protected by the security crew in that house back there."

"How come no one's questioned your presence then?"

"There's a special device attached to my helicopter that lets them know ahead of time that it's me, and not some person trying to sneak in. Bulma created them after grandpa got overworked about invaders. They transmit back and forth each time I fly here. I have to turn on a special switch every time I start my helicopter to activate it though. It's one of those precaution deals."

**Flashback**

Today was the day that any rich teenager (or one related to Capsule Corp head of operations) looked forward to more than anything else. Becoming a teenager brought about the ability to earn your pilot's license. Any thirteen year old with money began taking piloting lessons for one entire year; if successful at the end, the teenager would be awarded the coveted plastic card—his or her own official piloting license. Usually they'd head off to a Capsule Corp. dealership to buy only the best helicopters. Being able to pilot was a big deal to this group of fourteen year-olds, especially when none of them could drive yet. That privilege was two years away still; so of course these rich "snobs" held it over their peers' heads every chance they got. It was just another way of saying "I've got more money than you bunch of losers."

Son Pan was not one of the rich snobs, yet she found herself surrounded by them the day that piloting lessons began. Bulma had paid for her lessons as a birthday gift; she knew Pan could greatly use the transport if she wanted to look inconspicuous when she went to visit her grandparents out in the mountains. Bulma also had her own reasons; she wanted to show these brats that came to her piloting school that "poor losers" could take lessons too, among other things.

As the year dragged on, Pan watched as about half the piloting candidates either flunked out of school or simply just dropped out. The ones who flunked simply thought that they didn't have to do the assigned homework; the rest simply figured out that piloting wasn't as easy as it looked. About halfway through the year, the group of teenagers had begun flying helicopters with instructors. Before this they'd only worked in the virtual reality simulator; how different the real thing was. Pan discovered that she wasn't too bad when it came to the real thing. Her flight instructor was pleased; the student who drove before Pan was a ditzy tall girl who always had the knack to decide that putting makeup on while piloting a helicopter was a good idea. The entire school was surprised she had crashed yet; she'd had so many near misses that Pan had lost count. Her instructor was always frazzled every time Pan took the controls and was glad he was dealing with a tomboy who disgusted makeup. At least, that's what he hoped.

The day had finally come for the graduation ceremony. Out of a hundred and twenty original students, only one third of them finished piloting school and were present at the graduation ceremony. Son Pan was one of those students. She was in the top of her class. As Pan took her graduation certificate and brand-new piloting license from Bulma, she couldn't help but grin. Then she heard a voice whisper softly to her. "Meet me out back after the ceremony with your father." Pan nodded absently and returned to her seat. She could hear her father cheering for her from the third row. He'd been so proud that she'd finally earned her license.

After the ceremony, Pan told her father what Bulma had whispered to her. They both walked to the back of Capsule Corp., where all of the vehicles were stored that were to be shipped off to various dealerships. There, they saw Bulma waiting for them, dressed in a crimson red business suit. "Pan it's so great that you finally graduated piloting school! I knew you could beat out those out kids!"

"Thanks Bulma. I'm glad I can finally pilot too," smiled Pan warmly.

"Well I have a small gift for you! It's your birthday present for this year."

"Bulma no… you really don't have to do that for her…" Gohan knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he figured he'd try anyway. He'd already figured out Bulma's "gift". Her very, very, expensive gift.

"Nonsense Gohan! She deserves it! Come here, Pan. She all those helicopters over there?" Pan nodded. "Those are the brand-new models that are going to be shipped off to our dealers this Monday. You can choose any one of them that you like. Personally, I'd go for the XF 5690. The best model this year. Trust me. Go on over and check them out and see which you like best." Bulma gave the girl a small push and Pan was off to look at the new helicopters, starry-eyed. She'd thought that her father was going to give her her mother's old helicopter, which was very outdated, but still very much runable.

Gohan groaned. "Bulma, was that really necessary? You're going to spoil the girl rotten. Her grandfather already does that; she doesn't need more."

"Gohan you know she'd be driving an outdated copter that wasn't fit to fly. This way she'll be safer. Besides, a girl's got to have some style in her ride, right?"

"Did you have to point out the best and most expensive model to her?"

"It was only a subtle hint. I was helping her choose wisely and you know it." By now Bulma had crossed her arms and was smirked at Gohan. She'd won, just like she always had.

Pan came running over to the two, keeping Gohan from saying what he really wanted to tell Bulma. If he didn't let Bulma give Pan a helicopter though, her grandfather would make sure she had one; after all he'd done the same for his own daughter when she earned her license. Between the owner of Capsule Corp. and the "Champion of the World", Gohan always fought losing battles.

"Bulma, Bulma! I want the one you told me about! It's the best!" yelled an excited Pan as she jumped up and down like a little child at Christmas. At this moment she forgot she was supposed to play the part of rebellious, angsty teenager.

"Exactly which one _is_ the best, Bulma?" asked Gohan.

"That one over there." Bulma's manicured finger pointed to a sleek yellow helicopter, streaked with black tiger stripes. "Top of the line in speed, manueveability, and safety. It's passed all it's tests with five star ratings. Built just for teenagers like Pan who have overprotective parents and want the safest model available.

"Bulma…" warned Gohan. He really didn't want her bringing that topic up in front of Pan. Luckily the girl was too excited to notice.

"Hey, I'm only telling the truth. Anyway, it's already been signed and paid for. I had a feeling she'd go for that one, so everything's already been taken care of." Bulma produced a manila folder and presented it to Gohan. "Everything you'll need is in here. The title is in Pan's name, insurance as well. Insurance has already been paid for until Pan turns eighteen, when she'll take over with the payments from there. Here's the keys to your new helicopter, Pan." She tossed the silver keys to Pan who gladly caught them.

"I'll wait for you in the helicopter, daddy!" Pan was about to take off when Bulma put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just a second Pan. There's something I have to tell you and your father about your new helicopter." Pan and Gohan just looked at Bulma, wondering what was so important.

"Hercule and I have been discussing this topic pretty heavily for the past few weeks, but I think we've solved any potential future problems. Gohan, you know how your wife's burial site is heavily guarded?" Gohan nodded. "Well, Hercule and I discussed the possibility of Pan wanting to visit and doing so in her helicopter. Instead of making her check in with security and then go to the site, I've had a transmitter installed inside of the helicopter that will automatically send a signal to the security crew any time Pan lands near the site. All she has to do is flip green switch with the label TR below it. That will activate the signal for every trip. We both agreed it was the simplest solution for your family's unique scenario. My crew designed it especially for Pan's helicopter, and we've kept the designs in storage should you ever need more created. Pan, please take this switch seriously. It's for your best interest and safety." Bulma's face lightened up after giving her serious speech. "Well enjoy the 'copter, Pan! I know you'll absolutely love it!"

**End Flashback**

The device _was_ very handy, but Pan had had those near misses of security fire. Those were the days she'd forgotten to activate the transmitter signal, usually because her mind was firing a ton of other things at her. One look at the armed security rushing at her made her instantly remember, however. Luckily she'd been able to convince security to never tell her father. He wouldn't have been too happy about his daughter almost being shot, even if she could avoid it.

Pan's feet led her directly to her mother's tombstone and she knelt to the side of it. Setsei did the same, noticing the solemn look that had come over Pan's face. "Setsei…this is my mom…." A tear slipped down her cheek.

Setsei bowed her head. "Rest in peace Mrs. Son…" she whispered.

"My mom used to lay her life on the line to save the city, every day. Then her and dad teamed up… if mom ever got in a tight spot, dad was there to save her. But dad couldn't save her from something more common than a criminal… I know he wishes he could have. Mom had plans… but that driver cut them all short… just like that." More tears flowed down Pan's face.

Setsei placed an arm on her shoulder. They stayed like that for awhile—Pan sobbing silently with Setsei's arm on her shoulder. Setsei realized she had a lot more to think about than just the basics of this situation. It was going to take every bit of brain power to make her final decision. She only hoped that the decision she made was the right one.

**Will Setsei be able to decide and stay true to herself? Find out... in a future chapter!**


End file.
